NSSC pulp treatment with the Fenton reaction: fiber modification for reduced energy consumption in papermaking

Roman Poschner; Lukas Hopf; Adelheid Bakhshi; Alexander Wagner; Julian Selinger; Imanuel Kriesten; Frank Meltzer; Caterina Czibula; Thomas Harter; Rene Eckhart; Ulrich Hirn

doi:10.1515/npprj-2024-0081

Article

NSSC pulp treatment with the Fenton reaction: fiber modification for reduced energy consumption in papermaking

Roman Poschner , Lukas Hopf , Adelheid Bakhshi , Alexander Wagner , Julian Selinger , Imanuel Kriesten , Frank Meltzer , Caterina Czibula , Thomas Harter , Rene Eckhart and Ulrich Hirn

Published/Copyright: April 29, 2025

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From the journal Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal Volume 40 Issue 3

Abstract

The pulp and paper industry is focused on developing sustainable and energy-efficient production methods due to rising energy costs and environmental concerns. This study evaluates the Fenton reaction for modifying Neutral Sulphite Semi-Chemical (NSSC) pulp, applying varying dosages of Fenton chemicals followed by refining in a Jokro mill. Results indicate that the Fenton reaction reduced energy consumption during refining by up to 36 %, while maintaining similar pulp freeness. Under optimized conditions, tensile strength was enhanced by up to 10 % compared to untreated pulp at the same energy input. However, high chemical dosages caused significant fiber damage, leading to shorter fiber lengths and up to a 20 % reduction in burst index at a given pulp freeness. Low dosages achieved energy savings of up to 10 % without significantly compromising paper strength. Cationic starch was also applied to treated NSSC pulp to investigate if increased fiber charge or carboxylic groups would enhance its effect, but no significant benefit was observed. Instead, oxidative treatment led to a 25 % reduction in zero-span index at high dosages, indicating fiber weakening. Under specific economic conditions, such as high energy costs and low chemical prices, this approach could provide advantages in industrial applications.

Keywords: Fenton’s reagent; fiber modification; energy saving; paper properties; NSSC pulp

Corresponding author: Ulrich Hirn, Institute of Bioproducts and Paper Technology, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 23, 8010 Graz, Austria, E-mail: ulrich.hirn@tugraz.at

Funding source: Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft

Award Identifier / Grant number: 897744

Acknowledgments

Poschner R. gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) under Grant number 897744 for the Circular Economy research project CircuPack. Czibula C. acknowledges the Hertha Firnberg program (project no. T 1314-N) of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) for funding. The authors acknowledge the provision of facilities and technical support by Aalto University at OtaNano–Nanomicroscopy Center (Aalto-NMC).

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: ChatGPT and DeepL Translator were used to enhance the language of the manuscript.
Conflict of interest: All authors declare that neither personal relationships nor financial interests could have influenced the work.
Research funding: The study was funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) (Grant number: 897744).
Data availability: All data that was analyzed for this study is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Received: 2024-11-12

Accepted: 2025-04-13

Published Online: 2025-04-29

Published in Print: 2025-09-25

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/npprj-2024-0081

Keywords for this article

Fenton’s reagent; fiber modification; energy saving; paper properties; NSSC pulp