Pulp and Paper Industry Wastewater Treatment:An Overview
As we known, the pulp and paper industry are one of the most water intensive industries around the world, the pulp and paper industry requires significant volumes of water.
Paper production uses materials such as wood, rag, recycled paper, hemp, rice and wheat stalks, bamboo and bagasse as raw materials. The amount and characteristics of wastewater depend on the grade and type of paper produced, as well as the methods used for treatment.
Characteristics of Wastewater from Pulp and Paper Industry
5 characteristics of paper wastewater are mainly as follows:
Suspended solids, mainly fiber and fiber fines (i.e. broken fiber fragments and miscellaneous cells);
Easily biodegradable organic matter, including low molecular weight hemicellulose, methanol, acetic acid, formic acid, sugars, etc;
Refractory biodegrade organic matter, mainly from lignin and macromolecular carbohydrates contained in fiber raw materials;
Toxic substances, such as rosin acids and unsaturated fatty acids contained in the black liquor;
Acid and alkali toxic substances, pH 9-10 for alkali pulping wastewater and pH 1.2-2.0 for acid pulping wastewater;
Data of Typical Wastewater from Pulp and Paper Industry
Check an approximate analysis of wastewater from an exemplary pulp and paper production, some general characteristics include:
PH range at 8.0 to 9.0: The wastewater from this specific industry is typically akaline in nature,with the exact pH depending on materials and chemicals used. Higher pH is more common;
Total solids at 1400 to 2500 mg/L: Residual material, dissolved solids and byproducts created during the papermaking processes bring about high total solids;
Suspended solids at 600 to 1500 mg/L: Wood fiber, filler material and other particles in the waste water result in elevated suspended solids, which can often comprise half or more of the total solids;
COD at 300 to 2500 mg/L: The chemical oxygen demand is high due to the presence of organic materials like lignin. COD depends on the specific pulping methods and grades of paper produced.
BOD at 150 to 1000 mg/L: While pulp and paper wastewater has a moderate to high organic load in terms of COD, the biodegradable fraction as indicated by BOD varies significantly based on wastewater constituents. BOD may be one-half to two-thirds of the COD.
In summary, waste water from pulp and paper productions tends to be alkaline, high in solids including suspended particles, and contain high levels of organic chemicals as indicated by COD.
However, the wastewater composition can vary substantially based on the types of pulping processes used and grades of paper produced. Proper treatment of this wastewater is required to reduce environmental impacts before discharge due to the high contaminant loadings
Pulp and paper wastewater requires treatment as wastewater from this industry usually contains high amounts of organic matter and solids such as plastics, metal particles, and other debris that must be removed before discharging or it will pollute the environment. The primary units for treating pulp and paper production wastewater are aeration basins and sedimentation basins. In the aeration basins, microorganisms such as activated sludge which is a process that add oxygen to sewage to break down organic waste.
Activated sludge systems for kraft pulp mills typically have retention times of 15 to 48 hours and sludge concentrations reaches 2,000 to 6,000 mg/L. The organic loading rates are 0.05 to 0.1 kg BOD per kg of sludge for extended aeration. Optimal temperatures for treatment are 35 to 37°C. The ratio of nutrients to organic matter is also important for effective wastewater treatment.
Well-designed effluent treatment systems can achieve BOD removal of 85 to 98% and COD removal of 60 to 85%. The COD of treated wastewater indicates how much of the total organic material has been removed. The wastewater properties depend on the manufacturing processes and raw materials used. Mills employing best available technologies can tightly control emissions and minimize environmental impacts from wastewater discharge.
Boromond Offer Tailor-made Wastewater Treatment Solution for Pulp and Paper Industry
Chemical-free Wastewater Treatment Using Boron-doped Diamond Electrode Technology
Boron-doped Diamond Electrodes & Wastewater from Paper Industry
Electrochemical wastewater treatment using boron-doped diamond electrodes enables the removal of pollutants such as refractory biodegrade organic matter, toxic chemicals, organic pollutants and inorganic contaminants, by utilizing electrochemical oxidation process of BDD electrodes without applying chemicals
Boron-doped diamond electrodes are stable, durable and long-lasting. BDD electrodes have unique properties that make them well suited for electrochemical water treatment and the removal of a wide range of pollutants. They are chemically and physically stable under the extreme conditions required for electrochemical oxidation.
BDD electrodes can degrade and mineralize contaminants that are difficult to remove through conventional treatment methods. Their long lifetime and low maintenance requirements make BDD electrode systems ideal for industrial wastewater treatment applications. BDD electrode technology shows excellent promise for sustainable water treatment addressing emerging pollutants as well as established contaminants of concern worldwide. With continued innovation, BDD electrodes may provide a key solution for water purification and reuse.With excellent properties for electrochemical oxidation processes BDD electrodes have demonstrated potential for the removal of various contaminants from water.
Boromond’s Tests and BBD Electrode’s Application of Boron Doped Diamond Electrodes
Boromond tested and accomplished various tests and applications in wastewater treatment over key chemicals such as:
PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances): BDD electrodes can electrochemically degrade and mineralize PFAS compounds, which are persistent organic pollutants commonly found in wastewater and surface water.
COD (Chemical oxygen demand ) and TOC (total organic carbon): BDD electrodes effectively oxidize organic contaminants and reduce COD and TOC levels through electrochemical oxidation.
Ammonia and nitrogen compounds: BDD electrodes can remove ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and total nitrogen from wastewater through electrochemical nitrification and denitrification.
Other contaminants: BDD electrodes may also be suitable for treating additional contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, dyes, pesticides, and heavy metals depending on the electrochemical process used.
Sample Test Result Of Waterwater Treated by Boron Doped Diamond Electrode Designed and Manufactured by Boromond
The results of wastewater treatment in the pulp and paper industry indicated that the boron doped diamond electrode and test modules has accomplished degradation of refractory organic matters/pollutants (in terms of COD within the image below) to the target value (the line within the bottom section) with an efficiency which is nearly 100% of the electricity.
Well-designed treatment systems based on boron doped diamond electrodes can achieve high removal of pollutants such as BOD and COD that originate from the raw materials, chemical additives and manufacturing processes.
Boromond provides high-quality wastewater treatment technologies and equipment to help pulp and paper industry effectively treat and recycle their wastewater.
We proactively recommend solutions for optimal performance and compliance.
To get more information about solution to wastewater treatment of pulp and paper industry, feel free to contact us directly by a direct call or instant message via Whatsapp to +86 19908482323 or send email to our Email address: enquiry@boromond.com
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