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Control of Heavy Metal Ion Accumulation in Pulp Mill Wash Waters

Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Groundwater using Porous-Magnetic Biopolymer Beads

Diffusion and Reaction of Glucose in Molecular Sieving Catalysts

Bioreactor Design for Terrestrial Plant Cell Culture

Environmental Separations Research Area

Control of Heavy Metal Ion Accumulation in Pulp Mill Wash Waters

Support:  U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Industrial Technologies, Agenda 2020 Program (1996-2000); National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI)

Graduate Students:    Wassana Yantasee (Ph.D. 2001)

Collaborators:   Prof. W. James Frederick, Institute of Paper Science and Technology, Atlanta, GA; Prof. Murray Laver, Department of Forest Products, Oregon State University

Project Description:  In wood pulp mill operations, heavy metals present in the wood chips are carried into fiberline.  These heavy metals reduce the efficiency of totally chlorine free (TCF) pulp fiber bleaching processes.  Buildup of these nonprocess elements (NPEs) within the bleaching process occurs when the bleach plant wash waters are recycled in the attempt to reduce water consumption.  In this project, we are characterizing the nonprocess metal ion accumulation process.  Our goals are to develop fundamental equilibrium models for predicting metal ion speciation and ion exchange on wood pulp fibers, and to identify strategies to manage heavy metal ion accumulation in pulp mill operations with wash water recycle.