ChemE 471 - Pulping and Bleaching Processes

Course Description

Credits: 3.  Conversion of wood to mechanical and chemical pulps. Kraft, sulfite, and semi-chemical pulping processes. Chemical recovery systems. Bleaching of mechanical and chemical pulps. Offered: jointly with PSE 476; W.

Designation

Prerequisites

Textbook

Readings .

Course Objectives

In this class, the basic concepts of converting wood, and other biomass, into fibers will be presented. Topics to be covered include raw materials, pulping technologies (mechanical, kraft, sulfite, and others), and bleaching (oxygen, peroxides, ozone, etc). Particular emphasis will be placed on the process equipment, chemical processes, material energy balances, and chemical mechanisms and kinetics. The operation of reactors used to process biomass to make fuels and chemical will also be discussed.

1. Mechanical pulping (3 classes)
2. Kraft pulping (12 classes)
3. In-class simulation project (3 classes)
4. Anthraquinone/Polsulfides (1 class)
5. Sulfite pulping (1 class)
6. Bleaching (4 classes)

Three 50-minute lectures a week

Engineering
Design content
Chemistry content

(a) An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.

(c) The graduate should have an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.

(e) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.