Structural modifications to the pulper for enhanced energy efficiency and fiber quality in recycled paper production
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Tamer Sözbir
Abstract
In this study aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and pulp quality in recycled paper production, the structural optimization of a pulper system was investigated with respect to its effects on the process. Key modifications, including the reduction of rotor blade count, redesign of the screen perforations into a conical geometry, and narrowing of the rotor-to-screen clearance, were implemented to evaluate system performance. Following these improvements, energy consumption was reduced by 8.32 %, the Schopper-Riegler (°SR) degree increased from 20 to 25, and retention time decreased from 7 to 5 min. Significant enhancements were observed in fiber morphology and the mechanical properties of the paper. The revised pulping system yielded a more homogeneous and denser pulp structure, which contributed to increased production capacity and a more sustainable manufacturing process. The results demonstrate that simultaneous improvements in both energy savings and product quality are achievable in recycled paper production.
Acknowledgments
This research was conducted within the framework of the KMK Ar-Ge 2022/1 project titled “Investigation of the Effects of Pulper Revision on Energy Consumption and Product Properties in Pulp Preparation” at the R&D Center of Kahramanmaraş Paper Mill. The author would like to thank the KMK company and its R&D personnel for their infrastructural support.
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Research ethics: This study did not involve human participants or animal testing and therefore did not require ethical approval. All procedures and data management were conducted in accordance with institutional and scientific research ethics standards.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: The author was solely responsible for the conception, experimental design, data collection, analysis, and preparation of the manuscript. No external authors contributed to the intellectual content of this study.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: In this work, artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT) were used solely to a limited extent for language editing and grammar checking. No AI tools were employed for data analysis, results generation, or interpretation.
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Conflict of interest: The author declares no competing financial or non-financial interests related to this work.
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Research funding: The project was supported by the internal R&D resources of Kahramanmaraş Paper Mill under the KMK Ar-Ge 2022/1 project. No external funding or governmental grants were received.
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Data availability: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. Additional datasets may be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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