Abstract
The compositions of residual extractives in woodmeal, unbleached and oxygen-delignified aspen kraft pulps were investigated with gas chromatography(GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with focus on fate of extractives in kraft pulping and oxygen delignification. Steryl esters and shorter retention time (shorter than palmitic acid) extractives were main extractives in aspen woodmeal. Shorter retention time extractives were well removed in kraft pulping. Sterol esters were hydrolyzed to sterols and fatty acids. Sterols and fatty acids were two major extractives classes in unbleached kraft pulps. Linoleic acid was main fatty acids in unbleached pulps compared with palmitic acid which is generally found in aspen woodmeal. Sterolsand fatty acids were also two major extractives classes in oxygen-delignified kraft pulps. However, linoleic acid was well removed in oxygen delignification.