A RAPID SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC PROCEDURE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF TOTAL RESIN AND FATTY-ACIDS IN PULP AND PAPER MATRICES

Current techniques for the determination of fatty and resin acids in pulp and paper matrices are long and require sophisticated instrumentation not available in most mills. The industry needs rapid techniques for monitoring these compounds, for example, to ascertain their buildup in closed whitewater systems, or to monitor the efficiency of effluent treatment systems. A rapid colorimetric procedure used for monitoring free fatty acids in vegetable oils has been adapted for the determination of total free fatty and resin acids in extractives obtained from pulp and paper samples. The fatty and resin acids in the extractives are made to complex with cupric ions. The complexes are extracted into a solvent, and their concentrations are determined colorimetrically. This paper demonstrates the use of this procedure with pitch deposits, wood chips, whitewaters, and effluents.