Basics of Kraft
Pulping & Recovery Process
Art J. Ragauskas
Institute of Paper Science and Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
Outline
• History
• Goals
• Process Overview
• Kraft Pulping Process
• Kraft Recovery
– Power Plant
– Caustic Plant
History
• Soda pulping process patented, 1854.
• Soda recovery via incineration patented,
1865.
• First successful soda mill, 1866.
• Kraft pulping process patented by Dahl, 1884.
• First commercially viable kraft mill, Sweden,
1885.
• Kraft recovery furnace, 1930’s.
Kraft Pulping and Recovery:
Overall Objectives
• Chemical convert wood into cellulosic pulp
• High quality, strong pulp for papermaking
• Operate safely
• Minimize impacts on air and water
• Satisfy customer needs
– Maximum product quality
• Minimize cost
Kraft Pulping Objectives
• Use chemicals, heat, pressure to liberate
fibers.
• Operate safely.
• Minimize impacts on air and water.
• Satisfy customer needs - maximum product
quality.
• Minimize cost.
Kraft Recovery Objective
• Concentrate and burn black liquor.
– Provide energy produced from organics.
– Provide partially reconstituted pulping chemicals.
• Operate safely.
• Minimize impacts on air and water.
• Satisfy customer needs, product quality.
• Minimize cost.
Kraft Caustic Plant Objective
• Final step in reconstituting pulping chemicals.
– Provides fresh cooking liquor.
– Regenerates lime from lime mud.
• Operate safely.
• Minimize impacts on air and water.
• Satisfy customer needs, product quality.
• Minimize cost.
The Kraft Pulping and Recovery
Process
• Process overview.
Dale Proctor, 2003
Dale Proctor, 2003
The Kraft Pulping and Recovery
Process Flow Diagram
Pulp Mill
White Black
Liquor Liquor
Caustic Plant Power Plant
Green
Liquor
The Kraft Pulping and
Recovery Basic Process Flow
Pulp Mill
Pulp Mill
•Cooking
•Washing pulp
White Liquor Black Liquor
•NaOH
•Na2S Turpentine
Dale Proctor, 2003
Raw Material
Structure of Wood Fibers
P
S1
S2
S3
Lumen
Middle Lamella
Chemical Structure of Fibers
HO H HO H
HO HO
H H H H H H
H O OH H O OH
O O
HO O OH
OH H O OH H O
H H H H H H
HO HO
H HO H HO
n
40 – 47 %
25 – 35 %
O OH
O OH
O HO O
HO O-Xylan
HO O
HO O
OH O
OH O
OH n: 100 - 200
HO2C
OH O
Substituted with O O
HO OH
H3CO O
HO O
H3CO CH3
OH
H3CO
CH2OH
CH2 H3CO
OH
O O
OH CH
Extractives 2–8% CH2OH
H3CO
O
OH
O
H3CO
OCH3
OH
20-30 %
Physical Structure of Fibers
Cellulose embedded
in lignin –
hemicellulose matrix.
Kraft Yields
Pine Wood 50% Yield
Kraft
Lignin 30 kg 5 kg
Cellulose 45 kg 40 kg
Hemicellulose 20 kg 2.5 kg
Extractives 5 kg 0 kg
Chip Quality
• Hardwood vs.
Softwood Juvenile
• Wood Density (8 – 12)
• Roundwood vs.
Chips
– SMC
Mature
– Thinnings
Chip Storage
• Manage Chip Pile
– By-Products
– Acid Hydrolysis
– Yield
Chip Preparation
Chips
Roundwood
Long- Slasher Barking Chipper Chip Storage
wood Drum
Chip Rechipper
Screens
Boiler Magnet
Pulp Mill
Kraft Pulping
• White Liquor
Pulp Mill
– NaOH + NaSH
Black
– Dissolve & Fragment White Liquor
Liquor
Lignin
– Peeling and Chain Caustic Plant Power Plant
Scission of Green
Polysaccharides Liquor
Dale Proctor, 2003
Kraft Chemistry
NaOH → Na+ + OH-
Na2S → 2 Na+ + S2-
S2- + H2O → SH- + OH-
NaOH + Na2S + H2O → 3Na+ + 2OH- + SH-
Na2CO3
Kraft Pulping
• Digesters
– Batch and Continuous
Reactors
– Dissolve & Fragment
Lignin
– 341-350ºF
– 105-120 psi
– pH 12-14
Dale Proctor, 2003
Kraft Pulping
White Blow Tank
Liquor
Knotters
Chip
Feed Screens/Cleaners
Digester
System
Washers
Evaporators
(Recovery)
Batch Digesters
• 20+ ft. Height
•10 – 15 ft. Diameter
• Carbon Steel
• Pressure Vessel
Batch Digesters
Chip Chute
Locking Pin
Capping Valve
Liquor Top Off Gasoff Vent
Level & Pressure Temperature
Sensors Probes
Blowline
White and Black
Liquor
Continuous Digesters: Chip Feed
System
• Pressurized Feed System
Chip Bin
Top
Separator
Low Pressure Feeder Impregnation Zone
Steaming Vessel
White
Chip Chute Liquor
High
Pressure Inline Drainers
Feeder
Continuous Digesting System
• Carbon Steel
• Pressure Vessel
• 200 – 250 ft Height.
Liquor Heaters
Flash Flash Steam to SV
Tank
Heating
Zone
Screens
Cooking
Zone
Liquor to Evaporators
Extraction
Zone
Screens
Washing
& Cooling
Zone
Blow Tank
Outlet Device
Cold Blow
Pulp Preparation
Hot Water to
Blow Tank Final Washing
Stage Shower
Knotters Chip Bin Liquor from
Later Stages to
Shower Earlier
Counter Liquor from
Current First Stage to
Washers Evaporators
Screens/Cleaners Pulp Storage
Kraft Chemistry
• Extractives
– Dissolved
– Turpentine
– Tall Oil
Extractives
Digester Relief
Cyclone
Separators Condensers Decanter Storage
Black Liquor
The Kraft Pulping and Recovery Process
Flow Diagram
Pulp Mill
White Black
Liquor Liquor
Caustic Plant Power Plant
Green
Liquor
Power Plant
• Kraft Recovery
– Black Liquor Evaporation
– Recovery Boiler
Kraft Power Plant
Black Liquor from Pulp Mill
Black Liquor Green
Washer Filtrate & Flash Tank
Oxidation?? Liquor to
Caustic
Plant
Smelt Dissolving
Tank
Concentrator
or Direct
Concentrated Recover
Contact
Black Liquor Boiler
Evaporator
Kraft Multiple Effect Evaporators
Weak
Black
Liquor
Steam
Flash
Tank
Soap Skimmer
Concentrated Liquor Tank
The Kraft Recovery Boiler
• Recovery Boiler
– Water Evaporation
– Burns Organics
– Steam
– Reduces Oxidized Sulfur Compounds
– Recovers Inorganics as Smelt
Kraft Recovery Boiler
• Green Liquor
Pulp Mill
– Na2CO3
Black
– Na2S White Liquor
Liquor
Caustic Plant Power Plant
Green
Liquor
Dale Proctor, 2003
The Kraft Recovery Boiler
Precipitator
Concentrated BL from Concentrator
Salt Cake
Black Liquor
Mix Tank
Liquor Heater Dissolving
Tank
Steam
Precipitator
Superheater and Screen
Economizers
Flue Gas
Waterwalls
Boiler Bank
Forced Air Fan
Secondary Air
Air Heaters
Black Liquor
Primary Air Dissolving
Smelt Spouts Tank
Smelt
The Kraft Recovery Boiler
Boiler Feed
Hot Combustion Gas
Water
Precipitator
Economizer
Furnace Wall
Boiler
Section
Screen
Superheater
Turbines
The Kraft Recovery Boiler
Oxidation
Na2S + 3/2 O2 + CO2 → Na2CO3 + SO2
Oxidizing
Pyrolysis
Na2S + H2O + CO2 → Na2CO3 + H2S
Reduction
Drying Na2SO4 + 2C → Na2S + 2CO2
Na2SO4 + 4C → Na2S + 4CO
Reduction
The Kraft Pulping and Recovery
Process Flow Diagram
Pulp Mill
White Black
Liquor Liquor
Caustic Plant Power Plant
Green
Liquor
The Kraft Pulping and Recovery
Process Flow Diagram
The Kraft Chemical Recovery
Process Flow Diagram
CaO (Lime)
Slaker
Smelt - Na2CO3
CaO + H2O → Ca(OH)2 (Slaked Lime)
Na2CO3 + Ca(OH)2 → NaOH (Caustic) + CaCO3 (Lime Mud)
Pulp Mill
The Kraft Caustic Plant Process
Flow Diagram
Green Slaker
Liquor Clarifier White
Causticizers Liquor Clarifier
Dregs
Washer or Filter Mud Washer
Filter Lime
Silo
Kiln
Safety
• Pulp Mill - Acid Cleaning
– Digester, Liquor Heaters, Inline Drainers
• Power Plant - Smelt Water Explosions
• Caustic Plant - Gas in Kiln
Environmental Concerns
• Water
– Acid Cleaning
– Liquor Spills
• Air
– Stacks
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Thank You!
