TCF BLEACHED SISAL MARKET PULP: POTENTIAL REINFORCING FIBRE FOR COMMODITY PAPERS - PART 2

Sisal pulp has physical characteristics superior to softwood kraft pulp. Depending on the furnish components and paper quality requirements, sisal pulp can replace softwood kraft at a rate of up to 2.8:1. This offers many opportunities for sisal pulp. For example, sisal pulp may be used as a reinforcing fibre in high recycle content papers, or its use may permit basis weight reductions while maintaining product quality. Sisal pulp as a value added replacement to softwood kraft in commodity papers is considered a viable alternative market. Part 1 of this paper reviews the laboratory work to establish conditions for producing TCF bleached sisal pulp, and discusses the results of pilot scale trial tests on pulp samples which were distributed to paper companies for testing in various furnishes. Part 2 reviews a sisal estate plan to provide pulping fibre, tentative flowsheets for fibre preprocessing stations and a sisal market pulp mill using processes and equipment which are currently available on the market, and the estimated capital and manufacturing costs and economic analysis for a 50,000 metric ton per year sisal market pulp mill.