Maintaining balance and optimizing performance in pulping operations is challenging because of complex interactions between equipment, inputs, outputs, and cycling processes. With ongoing process cycling, chemical parameters can tend to drift outside of good operational limits and need to be controlled. The Kraft pulping and inorganic recovery cycle is often first to mind, but the same is true of any pulping process involving chemical re-use and make-up, and fibre feedstocks with inherently variable chemical properties. Econotech understands this challenge, and the reality that pulping optimization and the performance of chemical and energy recovery have important economic implications for mills.
Econotech has options for characterizing mill chemistry that can be applied anywhere from a single point, to end-to-end across a process. We help you track process elements you want to optimize, and non-process elements that act as deadload or cause problems as concentrations rise. We also help with important physico-chemical properties like density, viscosity, boiling point, heating value, settling rates, etc.
Some examples of sample/test combinations in this area:
- General tests such as density, solids, fiber content, viscosity, and ABC Titrations
- Black Liquor – see black liquor page for details
- Carbohydrates (wood sugars), anthraquinone levels, lignin, tall oil (soap)
- Tall Oil analysis – resin and fatty acids, acid number, bottom solids, water content
- Condensate analysis – TRS, methyl sulfides, mercaptans, turpentine
- Cations – metals determinations in almost any sample type
- Anions – sulfur species, polysulfide, carbonate, total chloride, oxalate, etc.
- Elemental analysis – CHNO as well as N by the Kjeldahl method
- Smelt chemistry – reduction efficiency, inerts and anionic species
- Lime analysis – residual carbonate, free and active lime, deadload and other impurities