Utilization of sub/supercritical fluids in Eucalyptus grandis e Pinus taeda

Author(s)

Maria Teresa Borges Pimenta

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC/BT)
• Defense date: 2005-12-19

Examining board members

Antonio Aprigio da Silva Curvelo; Maria Aparecida Mourao Brasil; Luiz Henrique Ferreira; Elisabete Frollini; Claudio Angeli Sansigolo

• Advisor: Antonio Aprigio da Silva Curvelo

Abstract

The utilization of carbon dioxide under sub/supercritical conditions (in association with co-solvents) in delignification/pulping reactions has already been reported in the literature. This technique takes advantage of the high diffusivity presented by fluids at the supercritical state. When applied to pulping processes the utilization of these fluids can lead to advantages mainly in the impregnation and effluent treatment steps. In an attempt to apply the high diffusivity exhibited by supercritical carbon dioxide, this work presents the results obtained in the comparative study of the performance of the kraft, organosolv and supercritical processes in the delignification of different species (Eucalyptus grandis and Pinus taeda), employing samples with different dimensions. The kraft process presented a higher efficiency in the treatment of wood chips while the supercritical carbon dioxide, with ethanol/water as co-solvent, (SFE process) was more efficient in the treatment of high dimension samples (3.5 x 3.5 x 4.0 cm). In the experimental conditions applied in this study, the pulps obtained in the SFE treatment of samples with square section 3.5 x 3.5 cm showed higher holocellulose content and higher brightness which corresponds to high free of lignin pulp yield. It was also studied the utilization of acetone/water and dioxane/water as co-solvents in the carbon dioxide supercritical pulping process. The results were compared with previous studies performed with aliphatic alcohols and indicated a higher efficiency of the dioxane/water and 1-propanol/water mixtures. The utilization of supercritical ammonia in the treatment of Pinus taeda wood chips was also studied in order to verify the nucleophilic capability of this fluid in the delignification reactions. The reactions were performed with ammonia, exclusively, and in the presence of different co-solvents (ethanol, water and ethanol/water mixtures). The results of the delignifications showed the occurrence of low amount of lignin removal, with migration of lignin to the periphery of the wood chips. The lignins isolated from the reactions performed in this work were characterized by different analytical techniques. The results indicated no significant differences among the samples obtained in the different delignification processes. (AU)