The low-REA cooks showed higher pulp yield, xylan yield, cellulose yield and viscosity. The lignin-HexA free screen yields were about similar in the kappa range of 18-26. The low-REA cooks required about 20% less EA than high-REA ones to achieve the kappa.

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the properties of briquettes produced with different proportions of pine and eucalyptus wood, as well as to characterize the potential of kraft lignin as an additive in the composition of briquettes for energy generation. The treatments differed from one another in the pine and eucalyptus wood particle ratios (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%), as well as for the kraft lignin content (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12%). The biomasses were characterized by their physical and chemical properties, and briquette properties were evaluated according to apparent density, lower calorific value (LCV), energy density, and maximum burst load. The results showed an increase in the apparent density as the proportion of lignin and eucalyptus in the briquettes increased. The particle composition of the briquettes had a higher influence on the energy density increase compared to the addition of kraft lignin, being more significant in briquettes produced with higher proportions of eucalyptus. It was also observed that the addition of lignin increased the resistance to the rupture load, and that there was a specific value at which this resistance was higher (at 7% or 11% of lignin, depending on the proportion of particles). Additionally, the briquettes made with 100% pine achieved greater mechanical resistance. In general, kraft lignin presented good potential for use as a briquette additive, contributing to improved energy and mechanical properties.

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Chips from E. urophylla x E. grandis hybrid were subjected to kraft cooking using two different approaches: low and high residual effective alkali. The lignin remaining in the pulps were analyzed for hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups. For both pulping cases, the kappa number varied between 14 and 26. Significant yield gains were observed when kraft cooking was terminated with low residual effective alkali (L-REA) in contrast to those with high residual effective alkali (H-REA) at a given kappa number. The L-REA pulps also tended to contain higher lignin and lower HexA contents than the H-REA pulps at a given kappa number. Cellulolytic enzyme lignin (CEL) was isolated from the studied pulp’s residual lignins, and their hydroxyl functional group distributions were quantified using a method involving 31P NMR. Analysis of residual lignins isolated from L-REA and H-REA cooking indicated that L-REA had high contents of phenolic hydroxyl groups and carboxylic acid groups in relation to the H-REA pulps. This work demonstrates the varied lignin chemistry one can expect when residual effective alkali levels are varied during kraft pulping and how this parameter can influence downstream unit operations and overall process performance.