Exploring enzymatic treatments for the production of dissolving grade pulp from different wood and non-wood paper grade pulps 10th EWLP, Stockholm, Sweden, August 25–28, 2008

Abstract The feasibility of producing dissolving grade pulps for viscose production from different fiber raw materials, such as paper grade pulps from wood and non-woody plants, was investigated. Commercial dried bleached hardwood kraft pulps from eucalypt, and bleached non-wood soda/AQ pulps from flax, hemp, sisal, abaca, and jute, were subjected to enzymatic and chemical pre-treatments in order to improve the accessibility and reactivity of cellulose and to reduce their hemicellulose content. A commercial monocomponent endoglucanase and a commercial xylanase were employed for biochemical treatment. The chemical treatment consisted of cold alkaline extraction. The effects of these pre-treatments on pulps were studied by reactivity, according to Fock's method, and viscosity measurements, determination of hemicellulose content, and recording of molecular weight distributions. The results were compared to those of commercial bleached eucalypt dissolving pulp. Eucalypt and sisal pulps showed high improvement in reactivity, reaching levels near or even higher than that of the eucalypt dissolving pulp (65%–70%), and a low hemicellulose content (2%–4%), when both were submitted to a sequence of treatments consisting of an initial xylanase treatment followed by cold alkaline extraction, and a final endoglucanase treatment. However, the viscosity decreased considerably. A uniform and narrow molecular weight distribution was observed in both eucalypt and sisal pulps after this sequential pre-treatment.