Environmentally sound technology for pulp industry<\/p>\n
By Buntario Tigris<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Pulp and paper is a very essential part of human life.
\nThis is why the industry is a global business in terms of competition
\nand standardized quality. Slowly, the effect of pulp and paper on the
\nenvironment has become a global concern as well.<\/p>\n
It is regrettable that the development of pulp and paper technology
\nhas been relatively slow. A technological innovative breakthrough was
\nmade only recently with the introduction of the environmentally friendly
\nelemental-chlorine-free (ECF) production process.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, which is endowed with the world's second largest tropical
\nforests, naturally enjoys a comparative advantage in the pulp and paper
\nindustry. The country's paper industry started in 1923 when the
\nPadalarang mill in West Java produced 3,000 tons. Now there are 45 pulp
\nand paper mills and 15 exclusively pulp mills.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's pulp production capacity is now estimated at 2.06 million
\ntons a year, of which 50 percent uses a bleaching process. Indonesia's
\npaper making capacity is 3.72 million tons a year and consists of 1.51
\nmillion tons of high quality paper and newsprint, 2.11 million tons of
\nindustrial paper, like cardboard, and 0.11 million tons of tissue paper.<\/p>\n
Recently, however, the massive development of the pulp and paper
\nindustry has triggered debate over its impact on forest resources and
\nthe environment.<\/p>\n
The most heated debate concerns the bleaching process. This process
\nis seen by many environmentalists as a threat to the environment.<\/p>\n
The debate has been prompted by the fact that most paper mills in
\nIndonesia use the traditional bleaching process, chlorine bleaching,
\nwhich is environmentally unfriendly.<\/p>\n
Environmentalists have strongly pressured the pulp and paper industry
\nto use the elemental chlorine free process or the totally chlorine free
\n(TCF) process, both of which are considered environmentally safe.<\/p>\n
Most industrialists, however, argue that it is extremely difficult to
\nchange the production process from the conventional technology to ECF or
\nTCF because the required investment is so large it would destroy the
\ncommercial viability of the industry.<\/p>\n
The industrialists also contend that TCF has not adequately been
\ntested overseas to ascertain its economic and technical viability and
\nonly a few mills in the world have used the new processing technology.<\/p>\n
The bleaching process for pulp and paper production normally uses the
\nfollowing chemicals: Chlorine elements, chlorine dioxide, sodium
\nhypochloride, NaOH for extraction, oxygen, ozone and hydrogen peroxide.
\nThe application of chlorine elements in the bleaching process is to
\neliminate lignin elements, which tie together cellulose fibers in wood,
\nwhich cannot be removed during cooking and washing. Removing the lignin
\nimproves the brightness of the pulp. When the lignin is absorbed by
\nchlorine, it becomes chlor-lignin which is dissolved into soda in the
\nnext stage of the bleaching and extraction process.<\/p>\n
Bleaching Process<\/p>\n
The next bleaching process uses chloride dioxide or hydrogen peroxide
\nto further purify and bleach. This is used to protect the cellulose
\nfibers, to achieve low-cost process and to avoid damage to health which
\ncan occur when elemental chlorine is used in conventional technology.<\/p>\n
Special attention should be given to the organic chlorine which
\nemerges during the bleaching process. These should be measured by the
\nAbsorbable Organic Halides (AOX) parameter which indicates the tolerable
\nindustrial standard. However, such a standard has not been set in
\nIndonesia. Other countries such as Japan, Australia, Canada, Germany and
\nSweden have set their standards in 1990. Japan, for example, enforces a
\nmaximum 1.5 kilograms of AOX per ton of pulp, and Canada has reduced the
\nstandard of AOX contents from 2.5 to 1.5kg of AOX per ton of pulp.<\/p>\n
The chemical form of chlorine shows halogen with a chemical structure
\nconsisting of chlorine in the form of greenish yellow gas. In its simple
\nform, chlorine is made from cooking salt. This chlorine does not damage
\nhuman health. Chlorine is used not only for bleaching but also to kill
\ngerms in the drinking water.<\/p>\n
Contamination<\/p>\n
Chlorine found in drinking water is used in most cities to prevent
\ncontamination occurring in the distribution system. It is used to keep
\nalgae from growing to secure the water flows smoothly through pipelines.
\nSo far, chlorine used in water distribution systems has not threatened
\nhumans because it is a mix of compounds which is environmentally
\nfriendly.<\/p>\n
New pulp manufacturers in Indonesia such as PT Inti Indorayon Utama
\nin North Sumatra have used the elemental chlorine free process since the
\nearly 1990s. This environmentally sound system is also used widely in
\nJapan, the United States, Canada and many other countries. Only a few
\nmills in the world have installed the totally chlorine free technology
\nbecause it is not only very expensive but the quality of the pulp it
\nproduces is not as high as that using the elemental chlorine free
\ntechnology.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Indorayon's use of ECF technology is based not only on
\nenvironmental considerations but also on the need to compete in the
\nglobal market. Moreover, the majority of consumers in the world prefer
\npulp that is produced with the ECF technology.<\/p>\n
Not only is the quality of pulp produced with ECF technology much
\nhigher than that with TCF technology but the price is also much more
\ncompetitive. The production cost with ECF is US$35-50 per ton cheaper
\nthan the TCF process.<\/p>\n
Global Production<\/p>\n
Only in Germany do several mills use the TCF technology for pulp
\nmaking. It is estimated that the world demand for pulp with TCF
\ntechnology is only around 50,000 tons a year, or a mere four percent of
\nthe global production.<\/p>\n
According to a recent study by Finland's Kvaerner Group, of the 32
\nmillion tons produced globally a year, 65 percent is produced by
\nthe traditional chlorine bleaching process, 31 percent with the
\nelemental chlorine free process and only four percent with the totally
\nchlorine free process.<\/p>\n
It can be concluded therefore, that ECF technology is the most viable
\nchoice, technically and economically, for the pulp and paper industry.
\nWhat is required, though, is greater attention to the process of
\ndissolving the chlorine to ensure the lowest possible AOX content. I am
\noptimistic in the near future there will be a national AOX content
\nstandard as a firm guideline to protect our nation.<\/p>\n
*The writer is an analyst of green production technology in Jakarta.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/environmentally-sound-technology-for-pulp-industry-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }