APPLICATION OF A MONTE-CARLO PROCEDURE TO THE KRAFT PULPING OF EUCALYPTS FROM THE EDEN FOREST RESOURCE

A benchmark study of eucalypt kraft pulps from the Eden forest resource was carried out to establish physical characteristics of such pulps over a range of Kappa numbers extending well into the bleachable range. This work constitutes an initial phase in a program aimed at devising processes for the production of kraft quality bleached chemical pulps with elimination or minimization of chlorine-containing bleaching agents. A Monte Carlo procedure was employed to study the response of the resource material to kraft pulping over a wide range of alkali levels, sulfidities and cooking times. The pulp yield, Kappa number, pulp viscosity, maximum tear obtainable, and tensile at a given level of beating were all shown to be strongly dependent upon the alkali level (in particular, effective alkali), and much less so on sulfidity and cooking time.