Effect of Enzyme-assisted Refining on the Properties of Bleached Softwood Pulp

Enzymatic pretreatment of pulp is demonstrated to be potentially effective for decreasing the energy consumption in the refining process.Herein, a neutral cellulase was utilized for the pretreatment of bleached softwood pulp in order to improve the refining performance.Cellulase pretreatment effectively improved the drainability of the pulp and could thus reduce the energy consumption in the refining process.The beating degree of the pulp was significantly improved at 6000 PFI revolutions, at which a maximum increase of 70% could be obtained.The water retention value (WRV) of the pulp increased by 17% after treatment with cellulase at a dosage of 5 IU/g, and the fibers could be easily torn apart after enzymatic treatment.To achieve the same beating degree, the refining time could be shortened by 80% when the pulp was treated with cellulase.Using a low dosage of cellulase, the freeness of the pulp increased rapidly without deterioration of the mechanical properties.