Utilization of Fibers Recovered from the Biorefinery Renewal Resources and Biorefineries Conference

Utilization of Fibers Recovered from the Biorefinery Renewal Resources and Biorefineries Conference

York, UK 2006

Mark Lewis University of Washington Bill McKean University of Washington Mike Wetzel University of Washington Biomass

Wheat straw

„ Fuel Wood „ Industrial Chemicals „ Medicinals „ Fiber

Arundo donax Why These Three Biomaterials?

„ Wood „ Major industrial use „ Well developed infrastructure „ Well characterized morphology and chemistry „ Compatible with coproduct production at existing manufacturing sites

„ Wheat Straw „ Same as wood above „ Large amount of underutilized residue

„ Arundo Donax „ None of the above „ Extremely high biomass productivity „ Potential economic source of energy, fuel, chemical, and pulp fibers „ Invasive species Overall Kraft Mill Biorefinery Product Balance and Economics Basis: Extracted 730 Mt pulp/day Wood Wood 1455 Mt wood/day Extraction Pulp 2/3 hardwood 1/3 softwood 150 Mt bark/day Fermentation Wash Inc. Capital Cost = € 210 x 106 Inc. Operating Cost = € 25 x 106 / yr Net Revenue = € 80 x 106 / yr Distillation Liquor Evap

Acetic Acid 23 x 106 l/yr Ethanol 72 x 106 l/yr Gasify desulfurize 6 1.1 x 10 barrels Fischer Tropsch Fischer Tropsch Fuels

Inorganic Recovery Species Growth and Productivity (WA)

50000 44800

40000

30000

20000 18000 kg/hectare/yr 13450

10000 4480 1800-4400

0 Wheat Douglas fir Hybrid Eucalyptus Arundo cottonwood donax Potential Washington Agro-Industry Manufacturing Configuration Numbers refer to List of Current/Potential Stakeholders – see next page

7,10,11,13,14,15,24

8

16,17,18,19

16,20,22 7,10,12,13,23,24

21

1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9 9,10 16,17,18,19

– In development stage – Nearly commercial (2006), needs some optimization – Process presently commercial/needs R/D for bio-sugar feed and glycerin – Research/Development List of Current/Potential Stakeholders * Indicates Sources of Funding for Joint UW/WSU Biomass Projects (1993-2006)

1) WSU Crop/Soil Science 13)* Boise 2) * Wheat Growers/Commissions 14) PNW Newsprint Manufacturers 3) * Alfalfa Seed Producers 15)* Grays Harbor Paper 4) * Other (Canola, Arundo Donax, 16)* IPCI etc.) 17) Arkema Group 5) Farm Equipment 18) Nike Manufacturers * 19) U.S. Polyester/Polyurethane 6) * Fertilizer/Chemical Suppliers Producers 7) * Weyerhaeuser 20) PNW Biodiesel Manufacturers 8) * Washington State Dept. of 21) Energy Producers/Consumers Ecology * 22) Dairygold and Other Cheese 9) * U.S. DOE, USDA Mnfg – Yakima Valley 10)* Sonoco 23) Washington State Orchards 11) Michelsen Packaging 24) Keyes Fiber Company 12) Columbia River Pulp Arundo as a Papermaking Fiber

„ Potential „ 100 million tons/year production US „ 30 million tons/year hardwood production „ 35 million tons/year recycled „ Reality „ Hardwood market southern US and PNW „ Recycle possible switch to non-wood fibers

„ More environmentally friendly

„ More cost effective Arundo as a Papermaking Fiber

„ Niche market „ Non-wood fibers selling at a premium „ Good initial market while building demand and fiber supply „ Hardwood replacement „ Hardwood sells at $630/ton „ Recycle replacement „ Shortage of deinked market pulp $650/ton „ Softwood substitute „ Softwood sells at $700/ton „ Arundo has viable long fiber Arundo as a Papermaking Fiber

„ Technical „ Easy to pulp „ Less Chemical Charge

„ Shorter pulping time „ Easy to bleach „ 25% less Chlorine Dioxide than wood at equal brightness „ Chemical Savings „ +large potential for more savings „ Energy Savings „ + large potential for more savings Arundo Plantation

Pulping Conditions for 7/8 inch Chip Size Compared to Wood Chips

Material 7/8 inch Hardwood Softwood Arundo Typical Typical

H-Factor 850 1200 1800 Temp(C) 170 170 170 Liquor/Material 4.5 4.5 4.0-4.5 EA(%) 15 17 18 Sulfidity(%) 24.4 25.0 25.0 Kappa No 17.6 25 28 Rejects(%) 3.6 3.0 1.5

Tan Oak vs. Arundo donax 1000 H Factor Kraft Cook

UnbleachedUnbleached Unbleached

Kappa O2 Kappa Brightness Zero Span Index

Tan Oak 15.4 8.8 26.2 0.589

Arundo sp. 12 6.1 30.3 0.628 Arundo vs. Hardwood

Furnish HD/SFT AD/SFT Trial 2 4 Basis Weight 77.40 77.40 Caliper (mils) 6.62 6.71 Opacity 83.43 83.27 Brightness 76.9 83.1 Elong. 2.91 1.85 TEA 33.2 33.7 Peak Load 4952.8 7574.8 Elong. 1.92 3.89 TEA 19.1 47.4 Peak Load 4370.1 4437.3 MD Tear 31 38.5 CD Tear 31.2 55.2 Porosity 2 3.1 MD Stiffness 221.36 379.60 CD Stiffness 77.34 117.35 MD Fold 7.6 111.25 CD Fold 9.8 23.75 Burst 20.25 25.6 Arundo as a Chemical Feedstock

„ Biorefinery Potential „ High Hemicellulose content „ Lignin uses „ Fiber supply Schematic Of Wheat Plant Parts grain

leaf

node internode

„ 6 Internodes : 56.2% „ 6 Nodes : 6.1% „ 6 Leaves/sheath : 37.7%

On mass basis for WA Winter wheat Conceptual Process For Integrated Power, Fuel, Chemical, and Pulp Fiber

Production Basis: 1 Mt OD Pulp

Extracted Whole straw Straw Internode Hot Water Internode Pulp Pulp Preprocessing Extraction of Production 4.64 Mt 2.61 Mt Hemicellulose 2.0 Mt 1.0 Mt

2.0 Mt 0.61 Mt 1.0 Mt

Field Deposit Ion – Exchange Removal ≈ 0.05 Mt Dissolved plant material Nodes, Leaves/ of Non-Carbohydrate To agricultural soil Sheath Impurities application

Sugars by Xylanase Bioactive Treatment Power Products or Composite Products Catalytic Hydrogenation

Mixture of alcohol/glycol products ≈ 0.5 Mt Technical Issues

„ What’s Known „ Transportation „ Will this work „ Quest for Brightness „ Liquor treatment „ Trial Run Opportunities „ Answers within sight What’s Known

„ Straw Pulping is not new „ Major fiber source in China „ Fiber length similar to hardwood „ Easily pulped „ Hard to convey „ Enough wheat and alfalfa straw in Washington for all paper produced, not just copy paper Previous Failed Efforts

„ Traditional pulping technology is too expensive „ Silica is a major recovery issue „ Liquor utilization Fiber Sourcing

„ Transportation „ Economically viable with 100 miles „ Borderline at 150 Will this work on Commercial Machines? „ Two very successful commercial runs in 2005 making unbleached paperboard „ Most papermakers recognize that if they can get good fiber they can make good paper „ Last US Straw papermachine closed in 1959 (pre-environmental regulations) Pilot Machine Trial Results Linerboard

500.00 Burst Strength 450.00 400.00 350.00 300.00 250.00 200.00 150.00 Burst Strength (kpa) 100.00 50.00 0 255075 % W he a t S tra w 0.00 Pilot Machine Trial Results 6 Linerboard 5 Short Span Compression

4

3

2 0255075 % W he a t S tra w 1 Short Span Compression (KN/m) Compression Span Short 0 Quest for Brightness

„ Major Hurdle „ 73 brightness TCF wheat straw is currently achievable „ 80 brightness is a minimum for commercial copy paper „ 80+ brightness achieved with seed alfalfa straw „ Research is ongoing Bleaching Research

„ Ferrulic Acid Determination „ Development of Procedure „ Wheat straw vs. Seed Alfalfa Straw Differences „ Wheat Straw 2.6% vs. Alfalfa 0.38% „ Kappa Reduction with peracetic acid „ Determining optimum conditions to bleach with peracetic acid „ UW pulping and bleaching vs. a new technology „ UW 90.2 vs. 88.2 under same the same bleaching conditions Conclusions

„ Agfibers and new industrial fibers can be utilized in the biorefinery and papermills „ Arundo donax can be used in existing kraft pulp mills „ Wheat straw can be used effectively as a replacement for OCC. „ Wheat straw can be bleached using ECF bleaching processes. TCF bleaching to high brightness is an issue.