Kamyr, Inc.

Ahlstrom Machinery, Inc.

Andritz Inc.

Andritz-ahlstrom Inc.

A. Ahlstrom Corporation

Alcell Technologies Inc.

Ahlstrom Machinery Oy

Kamyr Aktiebolag

Joseph R Phillips

Rolf C Ryham

Brian F Greenwood

Jan T Richardsen

J Robert Prough

Bruno S Marcoccia

Richard O Laakso

R Fred Chasse

C Bertil Stromberg

Johan E Gullichsen

Erkki J Kiiskila

Esko I Mattelmaki

John D Weston

Tuomo S Nykanen

Jarmo Soderman

Jerry R Johanson

Victor L Bilodeau

Ronald G Bain

John Pietrangelo

Karl G Wiklund

Erwin D Funk

Jay K Sheerer

Mark D Barrett

Louis O Torregrossa

Michael D Meredith

Jairo H Lora

Todd A Salvato

Keith A Carlton

Scott M Clum

David J Lebel

John Patrick Maley

Kaj Henricson

Michael I Sherman

Finn Jacobsen

Rune Hillstrom

Stephen J Dunn

Jian E Jiang

Mahendra R Doshi

John Hefele

Peter E Warloff

Stephen J Dunne

Karl Wiklund

Patrick E Sharpe

Jen T Richardsen

A comminuted cellulosic fibrous material treatment vessel assembly includes a substantially vertical vessel having a top, bottom, and outlet, and through which the material flows in a flow direction. The vessel preferably has a substantially cylindrical wall with at least one diameter-changing transition between the inlet and the outlet. A screen assembly is preferably provided at or just past the transition. The screen assembly comprises one or more annular screen surfaces diverging in the flow direction of the material, the angle of divergence being between about 0.5-10&#xb0; to the vertical, and preferably substantially continuous. Providing such a screen assembly reduces the radial compression of material thereon, and increases the volume and rate of liquid that can flow through the material and be removed through the screen surface compared to a non-diverging screen surface (that is a right-cylindrical surface). The screen surface has openings of substantially uniform size, and preferably with a substantially uniform percentage of open area, in the flow path.

Method of treating material in a continuous digester

A fiber mat is formed on a screen cylinder of a pressurized fiber filtering device used to filter particles from a liquid stream. The fiber mat is a fine particle filter to remove small particles from the liquid stream. The fiber mat is formed by injecting cellulosic fibers into the liquid stream flowing into the fiber filtering device. These fibers collect on the screen cylinder as the liquid flows through the cylinder. The collection of fibers forms the fine filtering mat.

Filtration of pulp mill liquids

Chemical pulp is produced from a slurry of comminuted cellulosic fibrous material using a beneficial additive such as AQ, or polysulfide. In the first treatment zone the effective alkali concentration and temperature conditions are such so that substantially no alkali degradation of the cellulose occurs, but so that the material is effectively impregnated with the additive. Then the material is treated with an alkaline cooking liquor, at cooking temperature, to produce a chemical cellulose pulp with higher yield or strength than if the low temperature, low alkali, additive pretreatment was not practiced. Typical alkali and temperature conditions in the first zone are less than 10 g/l expressed as NaOH, and between about 80-130&deg; C., e.g. about 80-110&deg; C. The first zone is preferably a feed system (which may include a separate impregnation vessel) for a continuous digester, while cooking is in a continuous digester.

Method of pretreating pulp with yield or strength-enhancing additive

Chemical pulp is produced from a slurry of comminuted cellulosic fibrous material using a beneficial additive such as AQ, or polysulfide. In the first treatment zone the effective alkali concentration and temperature conditions are such so that substantially no alkali degradation of the cellulose occurs, but so that the material is effectively impregnated with the additive. Then the material is treated with an alkaline cooking liquor, at cooking temperature, to produce a chemical cellulose pulp with higher yield or strength than if the low temperature, low alkali, additive pretreatment was not practiced. Typical alkali and temperature conditions in the first zone are less than 10 g/l expressed as NaOH; and between about 80-130&deg; C., e.g. about 80-110&deg; C. The first zone is preferably a feed system (which may include a separate impregnation vessel) for a continuous digester, while cooking is in a continuous digester.

Cellulose slurry treating systems for adding AQ to a cellulose slurry in the substantial absence of alkali

A comminuted cellulosic fibrous material treatment vessel assembly includes a substantially vertical vessel having a top, bottom, and outlet, and through which the material flows in a flow direction. The vessel preferably has a substantially cylindrical wall with at least one diameter-changing transition between the inlet and the outlet. A screen assembly is preferably provided at or just past the transition. The screen assembly comprises one or more annular screen surfaces diverging in the flow direction of the material, the angle of divergence being between about 0.5-10&deg; to the vertical, and preferably substantially continuous. Providing such a screen assembly reduces the radial compression of material thereon, and increases the volume and rate of liquid that can flow through the material and be removed through the screen surface compared to a non-diverging screen surface (that is a right-cylindrical surface). The screen surface has openings of substantially uniform size, and preferably with a substantially uniform percentage of open area, in the flow path.

Kraft pulp of increased strength and bleachability may be produced with decreased consumption of effective alkali, and at a lower H factor, by keeping the dissolved organic material (DOM) concentration low substantially through the entire kraft cook, including by extracting high DOM liquid from at least one part of a continuous digester and replacing it with much lower level DOM liquid. Existing pulp mills having two-vessel hydraulic, one-vessel hydraulic, or other systems may be retrofit to provide for extractions and additions of low DOM dilution liquor (including substantially DOM-free white liquor). Also, commercial size batch digesters (8 tons per day of pulp or more) can be operated with low DOM liquor to produce increased strength pulp. Using dilution with low DOM liquor also results in reduced H factor and effective alkali consumption, and increased bleachability.

Dissolved solids control in pulp production

Dissolved organic material control in a cellulose pulp continuous digester

Kraft pulp of increased strength and bleachability may be produced with decreased consumption of effective alkali, and at a lower H factor, by keeping the dissolved organic material (DOM) concentration low substantially through the entire kraft cook, including by extracting high DOM liquid from at least one part of a continuous digester and replacing it wit much lower level DOM liquid. Existing pulp mills having two-vessel hydraulic, one-vessel hydraulic, or other systems may be retrofit to provide for extractions and additions of low DOM dilution liquor (including substantially DOM-free white liquor). Also, commercial size batch digesters (8 tons per day of pulp or more) can be operated with low DOM liquor to produce increased strength pulp. Using dilution with low DOM liquor also results in reduced H factor and effective alkali consumption, and increased bleachability.

Dissolved organic materials control in cellulose pulp production

Recycled paper pulp having at least two different types of paper which consume widely different amounts of bleaching chemical, or mixed hardwood and soft-wood pulps, are treated in a manner that enhances distribution and redistribution of bleaching chemical to enhance uniformity of the bleaching treatment. The pulp is intensely mixed to provide a homogenous mixture of fibrous material and bleaching chemical, and then is continuously or intermittently subjected to mechanical action (such as in low intensity mixers, or by agitating pulp in a retention tank) of sufficient intensity and duration so as to enhance distribution and redistribution of a bleaching chemical. Also, recycled pulp will have cleanliness which varies significantly over time, and this is accommodated by sensing at least one of the brightness, color, or lignin content (e.g. all three) of the pulp prior to treatment in a first bleaching stage, controlling the quantity of first bleaching chemical added to the first stage in response to at least one of the brightness, color, or lignin content sensing to achieve a target brightness increase for the first stage, and then repeating the sensing and quantity control steps for a second and subsequent stages. Alternatively all sensing can be done initially. Within a stage, a valve may be controlled to subject the pulp to a second treatment in that stage, or to pass it out of the stage to the next stage, depending upon cleanliness.

Bleaching cellulose pulp having cleanliness which varies significantly

A comminuted cellulosic fibrous material treatment vessel assembly includes a substantially vertical vessel having a top, bottom, and outlet, and through which the material flows in a flow direction. The vessel preferably has a substantially cylindrical wall with at least one diameter-changing transition between the inlet and the outlet. A screen assembly is preferably provided at or just past the transition. The screen assembly comprises one or more annular screen surfaces diverging in the flow direction of the material, the angle of divergence being between about 0.5-10.degree. to the vertical, and preferably substantially continuous. Providing such a screen assembly reduces the radial compression of material thereon, and increases the volume and rate of liquid that can flow through the material and be removed through the screen surface compared to a non-diverging screen surface (that is a right-cylindrical surface). The screen surface has openings of substantially uniform size, and preferably with a substantially uniform percentage of open area, in the flow path.

Tapered screen assembly for a cellulose pulp digester

DOM control in cellulose pulp production

In a vertical digester for producing chemical pulp, or other vessel for treating a slurry of comminuted fibrous cellulosic material, the cost of manufacturing the shell is significantly reduced by eliminating the external step increases in the digester shell. The digester shell has a substantially constant internal diameter from just below the inlet to just above the outlet, screen assemblies being provided by an internal transition (e.g. conical) having an angle of convergence of less than 40.degree. (e.g. about 10-25.degree.) above each screen assembly so that the slurry flows through the transition without bridging or hang-up, and a step increase, or other increase, in diameter back to the first diameter after the screen assembly.

Vertical pulping digester having substantially constant diameter

A continuous solvent pulping process is practiced with oxygen free gas (e.g. nitrogen) purges of all major treatment vessels during the time when the process is arrested or terminated. The wood chips or other cellulosic fibrous material to be pulped is steamed in a first horizontal steaming zone at pressure of about 10-20 psi, and then in a second horizontal steaming zone at a pressure of about 20-75 psi. The first and second zones are isolated by a low pressure feeder. Steam is introduced into the material in the second steaming zone to flow cocurrently with it. Gases, including vaporized solvent (e.g. ethanol or other alcohol) are vented from the steaming zones, and solvent is added to the steamed material prior to feeding to a high pressure feeder. The high pressure feeder introduces the material into the top of a single digesting vessel, liquid and chips being separated at the top of the digester vessel without mechanical means that could cause a spark. Lignin containing liquid is withdrawn from a central portion of the digester and passed through flash tanks and ultimately for lignin and alcohol recovery. A recirculating screen and system is disposed between the central extraction portion and the top of the digester vessel. A portion of the liquid removed for recirculation is instead passed to lignin recovery, while fresh solvent containing liquid is added to the rest of the recirculated liquid.

Method for steaming comminuted cellulosic fibrous material during

Low dissolved solids control in pulp production

An apparatus and process for the solvent pulping and washing of pulp using vessels purged of oxygen free gas when the process is arrested or terminated. The washing is accomplished by first continuously passing the pulp to a pressure diffuser, then to a first multi-stage drum displacer washer, and then to a second multi-stage drum displacer. In the pressure diffuser the lignin is washed out of the pulp, utilizing as wash liquid a mixture of solvent and water having a solvent concentration equal to or higher than that required by the extraction process within the digester, and at a pressure at least about 350 psi. The pressure in the second and third stages is lower, and water is the wash liquid in the third stage. Alcohol can be recovered from the spent wash liquid of the first wash stage, so that all but about ten gallons or less of alcohol per ton of pulp is recovered.

Apparatus for treating pulp produced by solvent pulping

Growing community of inventors

Queensbury, NY, United States of America

Joseph R Phillips