SUMMARY:Pilot scale refining of White spruce using a modified TMP refining process (ATMP -Advanced Thermomechanical Pulp) was studied. ATMP combines selective wood disintegration by mechanical pretreatment and refining at elevated intensity with chemical treatment after defibration (in this study hydrogen peroxide, alone and in combination with alkali).The electrical energy efficiency and pulp quality using ATMP were evaluated and compared to a conventional TMP process. One goal was to retain the combination of optical properties and strength of typical TMP. Fibre properties (structural dimensions, external and internal fibre development) as well as the amount of split fibres resulting from TMP and ATMP processes were compared.The results indicate an electrical energy efficiency improvement potential of 0.65 MWh/odt (34%) at tensile index 30 N.m/g of ATMP compared to reference TMP. All ATMP pulps retained their TMP character, i.e. the relationships between light scattering coefficient, density, elongation properties and strength that are important for printing paper. ATMP had a significantly lower content of shives and higher external and internal fibre development compared to TMP at equal energy application. The long fibre fraction of ATMP also contained significantly higher amount of split fibres. The brightness of ATMP produced with addition of hydrogen peroxide (28 kg/odt) and magnesium hydroxide (14 kg/odt) was 14 ISO % higher compared to TMP.

SUMMARY:This review covers the effect of mechanical pre-treatment of wood chips on the energy consumption in refining and the quality of pulp. To understand the mechanisms of mechanical pre-treatment, a short description of relevant refining theory and reported effects of pre-treatment on wood morphology is given. Mechanical pre-treatment offers a chance to utilize the energy needed to defibrate chips in a more efficient way, minimizing the cyclic elastic deformations which are the main defibration mechanism in refining. Studies of fibre morphology indicate that compressive pretreatment mechanically introduces favorable weak points in the S1 and S2 fibre walls where defibration proceeds easier upon subsequent refining.Published results which cover the effect of the pretreatment on energy consumption and pulp properties are reviewed. Energy reduction of between 10% and 30% is reported in the literature. High ratio of volumetric compression is necessary. Pressurized conditions are required to ensure that the fibres are not damaged during the pre-treatment. Other effects of compressive pretreatment include a more uniform chip size and moisture content, better penetration of chemicals and removal of extractives from the chips. A list of equipment used for chip pre-compression is provided together with published results of pilot-scale and mill-scale operation.

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Primary refined softwood was subjected to highconsistency (HC) or low-consistency (LC) secondary refining, and the nature of the development of the internal and external fiber microstructure and ultrastructure has been compared. The primary refining of mixed softwood as a raw material was performed in pilot scale by the advanced thermomechanical pulp process. The study was aiming at the comparative characterization of LC and HC pulps at the fiber level when produced with similar and well-characterized handsheet properties. The formerly described Simons' staining method was applied. A significant degree of fiber wall delamination/internal fibrillation (D/IF) was observed during both LC and HC refining. Both the energy input and the refining consistency had a significant impact on elevating the degree of fiber wall D/IF. The statistical evaluation of internal fiber development indicated that the fiber populations in LC-and HC-refined pulps had a similar degree of fiber wall D/IF despite having a large difference in refining energy input (420 kW h odt -1 ), confirming that D/IF was promoted more energyefficiently in LC than in HC refining. The characteristic of the external fiber development from HC and LC refining was very different. Secondary LC refining promoted fiber surfaces with ribbons of thin hairlike threads arising from the inner secondary S2 layer that occasionally developed along the whole fiber length. Broad sheet-and lamellaetype external fibrillation from the S2 was typical for HC refining, and these characteristics were rarely observed in the LC pulps. The mechanisms for LC and HC fiber development are proposed. The cell wall characteristics (internal and external) of the pulp fibers appear to govern most of the physical and optical properties in handsheets.