Factors affecting brightness reversion of hardwood kraft pulps

Abstract

Ten industrial fully bleached hardwood pulps representing very different brightness reversion profiles were evaluated. The pulps were characterized before and after brightness reversion. The aging method (dry, wet, high/low RH, high/low temperature, short/long time) had, in most cases, no effect on overall brightness reversion trends, but affected the absolute reversion values significantly. Relative humidity in the range of 50 to 90% influenced reversion much more than temperatures in the range from 30 to 45°C. Dry and wet heat-induced brightness reversion correlated positively and significantly with hexenuronic acid (HexA) content in the pulp. The brightness reversion causes a significant decrease in pulp viscosity values, and HexA thus causing decrease of kappa number. Modern pulps produced by TCF and light ECF bleaching technologies were more prone to brightness reversion than regular ECF pulps, partly due to the higher content of HexA. At a pH level above 8, the brightness reversion process was strongly retarded for pulps with a very high HexA content.