Studies on the Bleaching Efficiency in Newsprint Using Formamidine Sulfinic Acid

Many different types of bleaching chemicals and processes have been globally used for deinked pulp. Besides chlorine-free bleaching chemicals, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium dithionite that could be used without restriction for almost all types of fibers, chlorine-containing chemicals such as chlorine dioxide and sodium hypochlorite have also used throughout the world. Even though hydrogen peroxide is commonly used in newsprint, it could not effectively increase brightness. Experimental evaluation on the possibility of using formamidine sulfinic acid (FAS), a reducing agent, for bleaching a wood-containing deinked pulp has been carried out in this study. The effect of bleaching efficiency for FAS on operational conditions and chemical concentrations compaired to hydrogen peroxide in one and two stages was studied. FAS bleaching showed higher brightness at high temperature and low consistency, and vice versa for peroxide one. Bleaching with sodium silicate and DTPA in FAS and peroxide stage showed better results than cases without them. Sodium silicate and chelant seemed minimize the influence of transition metal ions, including manganese and iron ions, which induce both bleaching agents to decompose. As a result, FAS as a reducing agent seems more effective than hydrogen peroxide for increasing brightness and reducing yellowness. FAS and FAS sequence seemed more efficient than the other two stages of bleaching sequences with regard to the best brightness level obtained. When bleaching was conducted with FAS, COD load was just about one-third compared to peroxide, and brightness stability of the bleached pulp appeared better than peroxide after UV light irradiation.