Abstract
Biopulping is the fungal pretreatment of wood chips for the production of mechanical or chemical pulps. Its concept is based on the ability of a restricted number of white-rot fungi to colonize and degrade selectively the lignin in wood, thereby leaving cellulose relatively intact. This process appears to have the potential to overcome some problems associated with conventional chemical and mechanical pulping methods. Biopulping is an environmentally friendly technology that substantially increases mill throughput or reduces electrical energy consumption at the same throughput in conjunction with mechanical pulping. Electrical energy is the major cost of conventional mechanical pulping. By producing stronger pulp with longer fibers and increased fibrillation, biomechanical pulping may reduce the amount of kraft pulp required to increase pulp strength. Some selected lignin-degrading fungi can alter cell walls of wood in a short period after inoculation. A comprehensive evaluation of biopulping at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) showed that these fungi can be economically grown on wood chips in an outdoor chip pile-based system. Results also demonstrate the great potential of fungal pretreatment of wood chips prior to chemical pulp production. The most prominent benefit of fungal pretreatment is improved effects on cooking, leading to reduced kappa numbers/reduced active alkali charge and/or reduced cooking time after only 1–2 weeks of fungal treatment. Fungal pretreatment also reduces the pitch content in the wood chips and improves the pulp quality in terms of brightness, strength, and bleachability. The bleached biopulps are easier to refine than the reference pulps. The process has been scaled up toward industrial level, with optimization of various process steps and evaluation of economic feasibility. The process can be carried out in chip piles or in silos. The biochemical mechanism of biopulping is still mostly unknown. It is, however, likely that the biopulping effect is caused by the lignin-degrading system of white-rot fungi. There has been quite little correlation between removal of specific components of the wood by the fungi and efficacy of the fungal pretreatment in either energy savings or paper strength property improvement. Biopulping technology has advanced rapidly within recent years and pilot mill trials have been started worldwide. This technology coincides perfectly with environmentally safe production strategies and can be implemented in existing production plants without major changes.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Akamatsu I, Yoshihara K, Kamishima H (1984) Influence of white-rot fungi on poplar chips and thermo-mechanical pulping of fungi-treated chips. Mokuzai Gakkaishi 30:697–702
Akamatsu IH, Ueshima KY, Umeda TA (1988) Biological pulping apparatus for wood chips. Japanese Patent Application 63/83537
Akhtar M (1994) Biomechanical pulping of aspen wood chips with three strains of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. Holzforschung 48:199–202
Akhtar M (1997) Method of enhancing biopulping efficiency. US Patent 5,620,564
Akhtar M, Attridge NC, Myers GC (1992a) Biomechanical pulping of loblolly pine with different strains of the white-rot fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. Tappi J 75(2):105–109
Akhtar M, Attridge MC, Blanchette RA (1992b) The white-rot fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora saves electrical energy and improves strength properties during biomechanical pulping of both hardwood and softwood chips. In: Kuwahara M, Shimada M (eds) Biotechnology in the pulp and paper industry. UNI Publishers, Kyoto, pp 3–8
Akhtar M, Attridge MC, Myers GC (1993) Biomechanical pulping of loblolly pine chips with selected white-rot fungi. Holzforschung 47:36–40
Akhtar M, Blanchette RA, Burnes T (1995a) Using Simons stain to predict energy savings during biomechanical pulping. Wood Fiber Sci 27(3):258–264
Akhtar M, Attridge MC, Koning JW et al (1995b) Method of pulping wood chips with a fungi using sulfite salt-treated wood chips. US Patent 5,460,697
Akhtar M, Blanchette RA, Kirk TK (1996) Biopulping: an overview of consortia research. In: Srebotnik E, Messner K (eds) Biotechnology in the pulp and paper industry. Recent advances in applied and fundamental research. Facultas-Universitatsverlag, Vienna, pp 187–192
Akhtar M, Blanchette RA, Kirk TK (1997a) Fungal delignification and biomechanical pulping of wood. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol 57:159–195
Akhtar M, Lentz MJ, Blanchette RA (1997b) Corn steep liquor lowers the amount of inoculum for biopulping. Tappi J 80(6):161–164
Akhtar M, Blanchette RA, Myers G (1998) An overview of biomechanical pulping research. In: Young RA, Akhtar M (eds) Environmentally friendly technologies for the pulp and paper industry. Wiley, New York, pp 309–340
Ander P, Eriksson KE (1975) Influence of carbohydrates on lignin degradation by the white-rot fungus Sporotrichum pulverulentum. Sven Papperstid 78:643–652
Arppe M (2001) Mechanical pulp: has it got a future or will it be discontinued? Int Papwirtsch 10:45–50
Bajpai P, Bajpai PK, Kondo R (1999) Biotechnology for environmental protection in pulp and paper industry. Springer, Berlin, pp 141–170
Bajpai P, Bajpai PK, Akhtar M (2001) Biokraft pulping of Eucalyptus with selected lignin-degrading fungi. J Pulp Pap Sci 27(7):235–239
Bajpai P, Bajpai PK, Akhtar M (2003) Eucalyptus biokraft pulping process. US Patent 6,613,192
Bajpai P, Mishra SP, Mishra OP, Kumar S, Bajpai PK, Singh S (2004a) Biochemical pulping of wheat straw. Tappi J 3(8):3–6
Bajpai P, Mishra SP, Mishra OP, Kumar S, Bajpai PK (2004b) Biochemical pulping of bagasse. Biotechnol Prog 20(4):1270–1272
Bar-Lev SS, Kirk TK, Chang H-M (1982) Fungal treatment can reduce energy requirements for secondary refining of TMP. Tappi J 65(10):111–113
Blanchette RA, Burnes TA, Leatham GF (1988) Selection of white-rot fungi for biopulping. Biomass 15:93–101
Blanchette RA, Leatham GF, Attridge M (1991) Biomechanical pulping with C. subvermispora. US Patent 5,055,159
Blanchette RA, Akhtar M, Attridge MC (1992a) Using Simons stain to evaluate fiber characteristics of biomechanical pulps. Tappi J 75(11):121–124
Blanchette RA, Burnes TA, Eerdmans MM (1992b) Evaluating isolates of Phanerochaete chysosporium and Ceriporopsis subvermispora for use in biological pulping processes. Holzforschung 46:109–115
Brush TS, Farrell RL, Ho C (1994) Biodegradation of wood extractives form southern yellow pine by Ophiostoma piliferum. Tappi J 77(1):155–159
Çöpür Y, Tozluoğlu A (2007) The effect of AQ and NaBH4 on bio-kraft delignification (Ceriporiopsis subvermispora) of brutia pine chips, International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 60(2):126–131
Dyer TJ, Ragauskas AJ (2004) Laccase: a harbinger to kraft pulping. ACS Symp Ser 889:339–362
Eaton DC, Chang H-M, Joyce TW (1982) Method obtains fungal reduction of the color of extraction stage kraft bleach effluent. Tappi J 65(6):89–92
Environment Canada Report (1988) WTC Bio-07-1988
Eriksson KE (1985) Swedish developments in biotechnology related to the pulp and paper industry. Tappi J 68(7):46–55
Eriksson KE, Vallander L (1980) Biomechanical pulping. In: Kirk TK, Higuchi T, Chang H-M (eds) Lignin biodegradation: microbiology, chemistry, and potential applications, vol II. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 213–233
Eriksson KE, Vallander L (1982) Properties of pulps from thermomechanical pulping of chips pretreated with fungi. Sven Papperstid 85:R33–R38
Eriksson KE, Ander P, Henningsson B (1976) Method for producing cellulose pulp. US Patent 3,962,033
Eriksson KE, Grunewald A, Vallander L (1980) Studies of growth conditions in wood for three white-rot fungi and their cellulaseless mutants. Biotechnol Bioeng 22:363–376
Farrell RA, Blanchette RA, Brush TH (1992) In: Kuwahara M, Shimada M (eds) Biotechnology in the pulp and paper industry. UNI Publishers, Kyoto, pp 27–32
Ferraz A, Mendonca R, Silva FT (2000) Organosolv delignification of white- and brown-rotted Eucalyptus grandis hardwood. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 75:18–24
Ferraz A, Guerra A, Mendonca R, Masarin F, Vicentim MP, Aguiar A (2008) Technological advances and mechanistic basis for fungal biopulping. Enzyme Microb Technol 43:178–185
Firth B, Backman C (1990) Comparison of Microtox testing with rainbow trout (acute) and Ceriodaphnia (chronic) bioassays in mill wastewaters. Tappi J 73(12):169–174
Fischer K, Messner K (1992) Reducing troublesome pitch in pulp mills by lipolytic enzymes. Tappi J 75(2):130–134
Fischer K, Akhtar M, Blanchette RA, Burnes TA, Messner K, Kirk TK (1994) Reduction of resin content in wood chips during experimental biological pulping processes. Holzforschung 48:285–290
Franco H, Freer J, Rodrıguez J, Baeza J, Elissetche JP, Mendon R (2006) Kraft pulping of Drimys winteri wood chips biotreated with Ganoderma australe. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 81:196–200
Garmaroody ER, Resalati H, Fardim P, Hosseini SZ, Rahnama K, Saraeeyan AR, Mirshokraee SA (2011) The effects of fungi pre-treatment of poplar chips on the kraft fiber properties. Bioresour Technol 102(5):4165–4170
Giovannozzi-Sermanni G, Cappelletto PL, D’Annibale A (1997) Enzymatic pretreatment of non-woody plants for pulp and paper production. Tappi J 80(6):139–144
Guerra A, Mendonca R, Ferraz A (2002) Characterization of the residual lignins in Pinus taeda biodegraded by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora by using in situ CuO oxidation and DFRC methods. Holzforschung 56:157–160
Guerra A, Mendonca R, Ferraz A (2003) Molecular weight distribution of wood components extracted from Pinus taeda biotreated by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. Enzyme Microb Technol 33:12–18
Guerra A, Ferraz A, Lu F, Ralph J (2004) Structural characterization of lignin during Pinus taeda wood treatment with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. Appl Environ Microbiol 70:4073–4078
Guerra A, Mendonca R, Ferraz A (2005) Bio-chemimechanical pulps from Eucalyptus grandis: strength properties, bleaching, and brightness stability. J Wood Chem Technol 25:203–216
Guerra A, Pavan PC, Ferraz A (2006) Bleaching, brightness stability and chemical characteristics of Eucalyptus grandis-bio-TMP pulps prepared in a biopulping pilot plant. Appita J 59:412–415
Hall E, Cornacchio LA (1988) Anaerobic treatability of Canadian pulp and paper mill wastewaters. Pulp Pap Can 89:T188–T192
Heden CG, Eriksson KE, Johnsrud K (1988) Japanese Patent Application 152/380
Hunt C, Kenealy W, Horn E, Houtman C (2004) A biopulping mechanism: creation of acid groups on fiber. Holzforschung 58:434–439
Jacobs CJ, Vendetti RA, Joyce TW (1998) Effect of enzyme pretreatments on conventional kraft pulping. Tappi J 81(2):143–147
Jacobs-Young CJ, Venditti RA, Joyce TW (1998) Effect of enzymatic pretreatment on the diffusion of sodium hydroxide in wood. Tappi J 81(1):260–266
Jakko Poyry Inc. (1985) Multiclient report. Lindingo, Sweden, p 2
Johnson I, Butler R (1991) Paper mill effluents: a move to toxicity-based consents. Pap Technol 32(6):21–25
Johnsrud SC, Eriksson KE (1985) Cross-breeding of selected and mutated homokaryotic strains of Phanerochaete chrysosporium K-3: new cellulase deficient strains with increased ability to degrade lignin. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 21:320–327
Johnsrud SC, Fernandez N, Lopez P (1987) Properties of fungal pretreated high yield bagasse. Nord Pulp Pap Res J (Special Issue) 2:47–52
Joyce TW, Pellinen J (1995) White rot fungi for the treatment of pulp and paper industry wastewater. In: Proceedings of the Tappi environmental conference, Seattle
Karl W (1990) The 1990’s could be the decade for CTMP. Tappi J 73(Suppl 2000 and Beyond):90–92
Kennedy KJ, McCarthy PJ, Droste RL (1992) Batch and continuous anaerobic toxicity of resin acids from chemithermomechanical pulp wastewater. J Ferm Bioeng 73(3):206–212
Kirk TK (1993) Biopulping: a glimpse of the future? Res Rep FPL-RP-523. Forest Products Laboratory, Madison
Kirk TK, Akhtar M, Blanchette RA (1994) Biopulping: seven years of consortia research. In: Proceedings of the Tappi biological science symposium. Tappi Press, Atlanta, pp 57–66
Kobe Steel (1988) Lignin degrading microorganisms having high activity and selectivity (for lignin). Japanese Patent EP295063
Kohler LJF, Dinus RJ, Malcolrn EV, Rudie AW, Farrell RL, Brush TS (1997) Improving softwood mechanical pulp properties with Ophiostoma piliferum. Tappi J 80:135–140
Kojima Y (1988) Inoculation of lignocellulosic materials with microbes in delignification. Japanese Patent Application 63/91077
Lawson LR Jr, Still CN (1957) The biological decomposition of lignin – literature survey. Tappi J 40(9):56A–80A
Leach JM, Thakore AN (1976) Toxic constituents in mechanical pulping effluents. Tappi J 59(2):129–132
Leask RA, Kocurek MJ (1987) Mechanical pulping. Joint Textbook Committee of the Paper Industry, Montreal
Leatham GF, Myers GC (1990) A PFI mill can be used to predict biomechanical pulp strength properties. Tappi J 73(4):192–197
Leatham GF, Myers GC, Wegner TH (1990a) Biomechanical pulping of aspen chips: paper strength and optical properties resulting from different fungal treatments. Tappi J 73(3):249–255
Leatham GF, Myers GC, Wegner TH (1990b) Biomechanical pulping of aspen chips: energy savings resulting from different fungal treatments. Tappi J 73(5):197–200
Lo SN, Liu HW, Rousseau S (1991) Characterization of pollutants at source and biological treatment of a CTMP effluent. Appita 44(2):133–138
Mardones L, Gomide JL, Freer J, Ferraz A, Rodrıguez J (2006) Kraft pulping of Eucalyptus nitens wood chips biotreated by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 81:608–613
Martinez AT, Camarero S, Guillén F (1994) Progress in biopulping of non-woody materials: chemical, enzymatic and ultrastructural aspects of wheat straw delignification with ligninolytic fungi from the genus Pleurotus. FEMS Microbiol Rev 13:265–274
Masarin F, Ferraz A (2008) Evaluation of Eucalyptus grandis biopulping with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora under nonaseptic conditions. Holzforschung 62:1–7
Masarin F, Pavan PC, Vicentim MP, Souza-Cruz PB, Loguercio-Leite C, Ferraz A (2009) Laboratory and mill scale evaluation of biopulping of Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden with Phanerochaete chrysosporium RP-78 under non-aseptic conditions. Holzforschung 63:259–263
Mendonca R, Guerra A, Ferraz A (2002) Delignification of Pinus taeda wood chips treated with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora for preparing high-yield kraft pulps. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 77:411–418
Messner K, Koller K, Wall MB (1997) Fungal treatment of wood chips for chemical pulping. In: Young RA, Akhtar M (eds) Environmentally friendly technologies for the pulp and paper industry. Wiley, New York, pp 385–419
Myers GC, Leatham GF, Wegner TH (1988) Fungal pretreatment of aspen chips improves strength of refiner mechanical pulp. Tappi J 71(5):105–108
Nishida T (1989) Lignin biodegradation by wood-rotting fungi. V. A new method for evaluation of the ligninolytic activity of lignin-degrading fungi. Mokuzai Gakkaishi 35(7):675–677
Nishida T, Kashino Y, Mimura A (1988) Lignin biodegradation by wood-rotting fungi. l. Screening of lignin-degrading fungi. Mokuzai Gakkaishi 34:530–536
Oriaran TP, Labosky P Jr, Blankenhorn PR (1990) Kraft pulp and papermaking properties of Phanerochaete chrysosporium degraded aspen. Tappi J 73(7):147–152
Oriaran TP, Labosky P Jr, Blankenhorn PR (1991) Kraft pulp and papermaking properties of Phanerochaete chrysosporium degraded red oak. Wood Fiber Sci 23:316–327
Otjen L, Blanchette R, Effland M (1987) Assessment of 30 white rot basidiomycetes for selective lignin degradation. Holzforschung 41:343–349
Petit-Conil M, Semar S, Niku-Paavola M-L, Sigoillot JC, Asther M, Anke H (2002) Potential of laccases in softwood-hardwood high-yield pulping and bleaching. Prog Biotechnol 21:61–71
Reid ID, Bourbolnnais R, Paice MG (2010) Biopulping and biobleaching. In: Heitner C, Dimmel DR, Schmidt JA (eds) Lignin and lignans: advances in chemistry. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 521–554
Sabharwal HS, Akhtar M, Blanchette RA (1994) Biomechanical pulping of kenaf. Tappi J 77(12):105–112
Sabharwal HS, Akhtar M, Blanchette RA (1995) Refiner mechanical and biomechanical pulping of jute. Holzforschung 49:537–544
Sachs IB, Leatham GF, Myers GC (1989) Biomechanical pulping of aspen chips by Phanerochaete chrysosporium: fungal growth pattern and effects on wood cell walls. Wood Fiber Sci 21:331–342
Sachs IB, Leatham GF, Myers GC (1990) Distinguishing characteristics of biomechanical pulp. Tappi J 73(9):249–254
Sachs IB, Blanchette RA, Cease KR (1991) Effect of wood particle size on fungal growth in a model biomechanical pulping process. Wood Fiber Sci 23:363–375
Schwanninger M, Hinterstoisser B, Gradinger C, Messner K, Fackler K (2004) Examination of spruce wood degradation by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora using near and mid infrared spectroscopy. J Near Infrared Spectros 12:397–409
Scott GM, Akhtar M, Lentz MJ (1997) Engineering, scale-up, and economic aspects of fungal pretreatment of wood chips. In: Young RA, Akhtar M (eds) Environmentally friendly technologies for the pulp and paper industry. Wiley, New York, pp 341–383
Setliff EC, Marton R, Granzow SG (1990) Biomechanical pulping with white-rot fungi. Tappi J 73(8):141–147
Springer AM (1986) Industrial environmental control. Pulp and paper industry. Wiley-Interscience, New York
Sykes M (1993) Bleaching and brightness stability of aspen biomechanical pulps. Tappi J 76(11):121–126
Sykes M (1994) Environmental compatibility of effluents of aspen biomechanical pulps. Tappi J 77(1):160–166
Vaheri M, Salama N, Ruohoniemi K (1991) Procedure for the production of pulp. European Patent Application EP429422, 29 May 1991
Wall MB, Cameron DC, Lightfoot EN (1993) Biopulping process design and kinetics. Biotechnol Adv 11:645–662
Wall MB, Brecker J, Noel Y et al (1994) Cartapip 97® treatment of wood chips to improve chemical pulping efficiency. In: Proceedings of the Tappi biological sciences symposium, Madison, pp 67
Wall MB, Stafford G, Noel Y (1996) Treatment with Ophiostoma piliferum improves chemical pulping efficiency. In: Srebotnik E, Messner K (eds) Biotechnology in the pulp and paper industry. Recent advances in applied and fundamental research. Facultas-Universitatsverlag, Vienna, pp 205–210
Wegner TH, Myers GC, Leatham GF (1991) Biological treatments as an alternative to chemical pretreatment in high-yield wood pulping. Tappi J 74(3):189–193
Welander T (1988) An anaerobic process for treatment of CTMP effluent. Wat Sci Technol 20:143–147
Widsten P, Kandelba A (2008) Laccase applications in the forest products industry: a review. Enzyme Microb Technol 42:293–307
Wolfaardt JF, Bosman JL, Jacobs A (1996) Bio-kraft pulping of softwood. In: Srebotnik E, Messner K (eds) Biotechnology in the pulp and paper industry. Recent advances in applied and fundamental research. Facultas-Universitatsverlag, Vienna, pp 211–216
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bajpai, P. (2012). Biopulping. In: Biotechnology for Pulp and Paper Processing. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1409-4_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1409-4_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-1408-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-1409-4
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)