Multivariate process monitoring of a newsprint mill.: Application to modelling and predicting COD load resulting from de-inking of recycled paper

Multivariate process monitoring was applied to understand the influence of numerous production parameters on the release of organic matter into the effluent of a newsprint mill. The release was characterized by measuring the chemical oxygen demand (COD). The relationships between over 50 process variables and the COD load were investigated using PLS regression and time series analysis. The results showed that variations in COD could be predicted accurately, Furthermore, model interpretation identified the most influential process parameters. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.