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2025 Vol.57, Issue 1 Preview Page

Research Article

Impact of Cellulases Treatment on Pulp Refining Process in Papermaking Process

셀룰라아제 처리가 펄프 리파이닝에 미치는 영향

Yoon-Hyuck Choi1
,
Won-Gyeom Shin2
,
Soo-Jeong Shin3†
최 윤혁1
,
신 원겸2
,
신 수정3†
1Department of Forest Products and Engineering, Chungbuk National University
2Samhwa Paper Production Department Production Team Paper Part Employee
3Department of Wood and Paper Science, Chungbuk National University
1충북대학교 임산공학과 대학원생
2현재 소속: 삼화제지 생산부서 초지파트 사원, 연구 당시 소속: 충북대학교 임산공학과(Department of Forest Products and Engineering, Chungbuk National University), 대학원생
3충북대학교 목재종이과학과 교수
†Corresponding author: E-Mail: soojshin@cbnu.ac.kr (Address: Department of Wood and Paper Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea)
28 February 2025. pp. 32-40
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Abstract

Refining is one of the most energy-intensive processes in papermaking, making efficiency improvements and energy reduction critical challenges. To address this issue, enzymatic pre-treatment was explored using pure cellulase (Celluclast® 1.5 L) and a cellulase-xylanase enzyme blend (Viscoflow® MG) to modify pulp surface properties and enhance refining performance. In this study, bleached hardwood kraft pulp was pre-treated with enzymes at concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 IU at 50°C for 60 minutes. The effects of enzymatic pre-treatment were assessed by measuring freeness using the Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) method and evaluating paper strength properties, including tensile and tear indices. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine surface modifications in the pulp following enzymatic treatment. The results demonstrated that both enzyme treatments effectively reduced refining time, with pure cellulase-treated pulp achieving the target freeness more rapidly than pulp treated with the enzyme mixture. In terms of paper strength, the tensile index increased by up to 7.6% for pure cellulase-treated pulp and up to 12.4% for pulp treated with the enzyme blend. However, the tear index showed a decreasing trend for pure cellulase-treated pulp, whereas in the enzyme mixture group, it increased at lower concentrations (1 IU and 2 IU) but declined at higher concentrations (4 IU). SEM analysis confirmed significant structural modifications in the pulp surface after enzymatic pre-treatment. In conclusion, pure cellulase pre-treatment (Celluclast® 1.5 L) was found to be more effective in reducing refining energy consumption compared to the cellulase-xylanase blend (Viscoflow® MG). Furthermore, the physical properties of the resulting paper varied depending on the type and concentration of the enzyme applied, highlighting the importance of optimizing enzymatic pre-treatment conditions for enhanced refining efficiency and improved paper quality.

Keywords
Enzymatic pre-treatment
SEM
refining
freeness
energy reduction
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Information
  • Publisher :Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국펄프종이공학회
  • Journal Title :Journal of Korea TAPPI
  • Journal Title(Ko) :펄프종이기술
  • Volume : 57
  • No :1
  • Pages :32-40
  • Received Date : 2025-01-20
  • Revised Date : 2025-02-03
  • Accepted Date : 2025-02-03
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7584/JKTAPPI.2025.2.57.1.32
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