To obtain as high an yield as possible in the manufacture of chemical pulp by the use of polysulfides (Na
2S
x) the presence of caustic soda (hydroxyl-ions) seems to be undesirable because the carbohydrates in woods will be hydrolyzed partly during they are stabilized by the action of Na
2S
x.
In order to improve the effectiveness of Na
2S
x, therefore, the digestion should be carried out into two stages. In the first stage, Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) wood chips are treated with Na
2S
x solution, and in the second stage, the pretreated chips are cooked by the use of alkaline aqueous solutions such as caustic soda or kraft white liquor. We call this process P.S.A.
The following results were obtained from the cooking experiments.
(1) Upon the type of Na
2S
x used in the first stage cook, Na
2S
4 was more profitable than others in the increase of pulp yield.
(2) The optimum pretreatment conditions were found to be 5.0% Na
2S
4 (as Na
2O) based on wood chip, 130°C cooking temperature and 60 min. treatment time.
(3) The second stage cook with alkaline liquor was carried out under the cooking condition of conventional kraft process. And no difference could be observed essentially between the two different alkaline cooking liquors (caustic soda and kraft white liquor) employed.
Compared with the kraft process an increase in yield of pulp 56% on wood resulted from this process. (P.S.A.) This is also approximately twice as much as if the addition of polysulfides was made directly to the cooking liquor.
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