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It is bold to be the fi rst to try a new technology. But being bold often yields the highest results.”

Ying Guangdong, Vice President and Technical Director, Sun Paper

Ying (left) and Chen Jieyu, ANDRITZ Project Manager, Textile pulp: inspect a textile sample made from Sun Paper dissolving pulp. another bright struction for example, a mill can switch The ANDRITZ PHV (Pre-Hydrolysis pulp grades to take advantage of market Vessel) is a new pricing.” technology devel- moment for oped for hemicel- lulose removal with Clouds removed continuous cooking. The world’s fi rst PHV Notes Liu Yan Bo, Pulping Production was delivered to Sun Manager for Sun Paper, “With any new Paper and is shown Sun Paper here next to the technology there are bound to be chal- existing continuous lenges. Soon after start-up, we faced some cooking system. The Supplying China’s clothing producers mill has the fl exibility with a natural fi ber alternative. production problems with the continuous to swing production pre-hydrolysis. After some adjustments, between dissolving and traditional kraft and good support from ANDRITZ, the ben- pulp. n November 2011, Sun Paper entered Modest investment terial. But for the production of dissolving efi ts of producing textile pulp have already an entirely new business at its pulp mill According to Sun Paper’s management pulp, a pre-treatment step is added to proven to be signifi cant.” Iin Yanzhou, Shandong Province, China. team, the leap into “textile” pulp required a remove most of the hemicelluloses in the Sun became a producer of dissolving pulp surprisingly modest investment to convert wood. According to Ying, “We trust ANDRITZ be- made from local poplar at a capacity of the 300,000 t/a bleached hardwood kraft cause they understand our needs to pro- 200,000 t/a. line. According to Hannu Råmark, Director of duce quality pulp and paper. They are also Technology for ANDRITZ’s Fiber Technology willing to educate us about running this Dissolving pulp has a very high cellulose “By adding an ANDRITZ pre-hydrolysis Division, “The emphasis today is on modify- new technology. They organized a special content (> 92-97% compared to 85-90% tower next to our existing continuous di- ing existing lines so they can ‘swing’ pro- R&D seminar just for us with the Helsinki for kraft pulp), making it suitable for the gester, and an extra bleaching stage with duction to either paper pulp or dissolving University. In addition, we have been doing production of rayon, acetate textile fi bers, a wash press, we basically converted from pulp depending on market conditions. This research and trials at their lab in Glens Falls, fi lters, etc. The pulp gets its name from the paper pulp to dissolving pulp,” says Ying type of project fi ts right into an ANDRITZ New York (USA), both before and after the fact that the cellulose fi ber is dissolved in Guangdong, Vice President and Technical strength.” conversion.” a caustic solution to form viscose, which Director of Sun Paper. “We were the fi rst is extruded through spinners to form rayon to install this new technology, but it was a ANDRITZ technology for the production of Adds Liu, “Our continuous process for dis- fi laments. calculated risk. Given our long partnership dissolving pulp is based on many years of solving textile pulp started up very quickly, with ANDRITZ, we were certain that the in- experience with chemical pulp fi berlines and has maintained high yield and pro- Declining global production of cotton in vestment would pay off.” and intensive R&D in the area of hemicellu- ductivity ever since. Our textile pulps are 2009, and the corresponding high prices, lose removal. “Many of our existing process considered the best by leading textile pro- opened the door for dissolving pulp pro- Similar, but different technologies are suitable for dissolving pulp ducers. “We have good cooperation with ducers. In 2011, China’s dissolving pulp ca- The production processes for dissolv- production,” Råmark says. “By planning for ANDRITZ and very good results. The fre- pacity reached 896,000 tonnes, of which ing pulp and paper pulp are quite similar, this in advance, with careful consideration quent exchange of ideas is helpful to both roughly 70% was newly added. and both use wood chips as the raw ma- in the piping design and materials of con- companies.” 8 Sun Paper Sun Paper 9

The Wash Press (AWP) represents ANDRITZ’s first delivery to China. The compact unit was originally ordered to Chen Jieyu of ANDRITZ (left) with provide additional brownstock washing ca- An Qingchen of Sun Paper in front pacity, but was moved to perform P-stage The benefits of of the ANDRITZ MVR evapora- tors which considerably reduce bleach washing in the dissolving pulp pro- producing textile fresh water consumption in the cess. It removes a range of contaminants mechanical pulping lines. Sun pulp have already proven Paper is leading the world with its to achieve the quality standard necessary zero discharge accomplishments for textile pulp producers. Liu points out to be significant.” at this mill. that the value of the wash press cannot Liu Yan Bo, be underestimated. “The purity of the pulp Pulping Production Manager, Sun Paper gained from this compact unit assures a quality level not otherwise possible,” he says. “Our customers require exceptional cleanliness.”

Forget about batch the chef. You can have a gourmet meal, or ners convert the pure cellulose into A long partnership “Batch has been the tradition with viscose something terrible. When you consider the yarn, looking much like cotton once it is with ANDRITZ pulps,” says Chen Jieyu, ANDRITZ Project value of a continuous process, highly au- processed. Manager. “But, the batch process is expen- tomated where quality is constant, it is an Significant pulp production at Sun sive to run. Sun Paper recognized the ben- easy decision.” According to Aaron Leavitt, Principal Paper comes from their four ANDRITZ efits of a continuous process and had the Engineer for cooking technology at P-RC APMP mechanical pulp lines confidence in us to make it happen.” Removing hemicellulose ANDRITZ, “Stable production was a from supporting cotton. The government, Says Liu, “We did a lot of research before (first one started up in 2008) which the continuous way problem with older technologies. All that highly aware of the need to feed 1.4 bil- converting our line to textile pulp. We real- produce 700,000 t/a. All the mechan- “Everything in this line is controlled by a The key to dissolving pulp production is changed with the introduction of the Pre- lion people, has chosen to encourage ized that customers wanted more than cot- ical lines employ ANDRITZ Zedivap DCS, so very little operator attention is re- efficient removal and recovery of hemicel- Hydrolysis Vessel (PHV).” more planting of food crops, such as rice ton replacement. They wanted properties system to eliminate normal effluent quired,” Ying says. “Running our dissolving lulose from the fiber source. Otherwise, and corn. Combined with the emergence of that made end products better, and some- treatment by utilizing mechanical va- pulp line is almost as easy as taking photos the hemicelluloses will precipitate dur- The ANDRITZ PHV is a new technology poplar tree plantations owned by Sun Paper times cheaper. Our fiber comes from nature, por recompression (MVR) technology with a quality digital camera. By contrast, ing the rayon production process, plug- developed for hemicellulose removal with and local farmers, the company was ideally but can behave in different, desired ways to remove most of the water from the batch process depends too much on ging up the filament spinners. The spin- continuous cooking. “We redesigned the positioned to gain from this hardwood fiber compared to cotton. It can be shorter, or the effluent. Condensate is returned cooking process to include auto-hydrolysis for textile production. longer, providing our customers’ customers to the APMP process, reducing con- for efficient hemicellulose removal,” Leavitt with a new range of options.” siderably fresh water consumption. explains. “The PHV can be installed in a new Explains Ying, “Because of a fast start- Residuals are further concentrated line, and is easily applied to existing instal- up, we were able to take advantage of the A key criteria for Sun Paper’s choice of the and incinerated. lations, such as at Sun Paper.” spike in prices. Even now, we are profitable ANDRITZ dissolving pulp production tech- with the current pricing. When prices go up nology was the ability to swing the system According to An Qingchen, Sun The ANDRITZ Based on initial findings, installation and op- again, we will do even better.” back to bleached kraft production when Paper’s Project Manager for the Wash Press erational costs with the PHV are lower than they choose. Says Ying, “Flexibility is al- APMP mechanical pulp lines and (AWP) is the first in China. The with the traditional, batch-based dissolv- Flexibility can be sweet ways wise, because markets fluctuate. We evaporation systems at Sun Paper, compact unit ing pulp process. “The pulp quality is bet- The best measure of the value of Sun have a strategic advantage to shift produc- “Sun Paper is leading the world with performs P-stage bleach washing ter than with existing batch technologies,” Paper’s textile pulp is acceptance by con- tion. Another bonus is that our textile pulp its zero discharge accomplishments in the dissolving Chen says. “This is due to better selectivity sumers. “We are hearing from producers investment opens the way for other value here. We enjoy the challenge of lead- pulp process. of the hydrolysis reactions and a controlled, that our textile pulp has qualities that con- streams from the byproducts. The hemicel- ership in environmental performance.” sustainable recovery of the hemicellulose sumers want,” Ying says. “In addition to lulose extracted during pre-hydrolysis can by-products.” excellent moisture absorption, the smooth, be used to produce xyclose for chewing Two other recent projects include the soft surface allows fabrics to drape in a way gum. And, if the quality of the hemicellulose installation of ANDRITZ biomass han- Seizing a market opportunity that flatters the figure. We are told that our is not sufficient for this, we mix it with the dling equipment for the power gen- The dissolving pulp market in China has pulp is good for sensitive skin. In addition, black liquor as a fuel for the recovery boiler.” eration plant (September 2011) and experienced a boom in recent years, both the process employed to turn our pulp into an ANDRITZ LimeKiln, started up in because of the strong textiles manufactur- yarn is considered to be environmentally CONTACT December, 2012. Chen Jieye ing base, and a governmental shift away friendly.” [email protected]