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Surface selective removal of xylan from refined never-dried birch kraft pulp

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Abstract

In this study, the effect of enzyme treatment on refined, never-dried bleached birch kraft pulp was investigated, using an endo-1,4-β-xylanase, that is substantially free from cellulase activity. The xylanase treatment of refined never-dried pulp revealed a rapid initial hydrolysis rate with a time-dependent saturation level in the amount of hydrolyzed pulp carbohydrates. Surprisingly short xylanase treatment times were found to have an impact on the fiber surface structure and on the physicochemical properties of kraft pulp fibers. Xylanase treatment led to mild microscopic differences in the ultrastructure of a never-dried fiber, whereas local topographical differences were distinguishable with atomic force microscopy. Results from the analysis of dissolved carbohydrates and the interfacial properties of the xylanase-treated never-dried fibers thus confirm a selective removal of xylan from the fiber surfaces. The zeta-potential charge and dewatering properties of the pulp slurry, fiber morphology, and strength properties of the paper were affected, which is a concomitant of xylanase treatment. However, the papermaking properties of the fibers were mainly preserved with simultaneous improvement in the dewatering rate of the pulp. Thus, optimized xylanase treatment of refined bleached kraft pulp provides a fiber for papermaking or fiber modification purposes with a selectively modified chemical composition of the fiber surface layer.

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Acknowledgments

This work was carried out as part of the Future Biorefinery II (FuBio II) Research Program of Finnish Bioeconomy Cluster FIBIC Ltd (formerly ForestCluster Ltd), Finland. TEKES (the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) and the industrial partners of the FuBio II Program are acknowledged for their financial support. The authors wish to thank the pilot paper machine personnel at Stora Enso Research Centre Imatra, Finland for their assistance in this work.

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  1. Biomaterials Research Group, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53851, Lappeenranta, Finland

    Esa Saukkonen, Katja Lyytikäinen & Kaj Backfolk

  2. Laboratory of Physics, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta, Finland

    Pavel Geydt

  3. Imatra Research Centre, Stora Enso Oyj, 55800, Imatra, Finland

    Kaj Backfolk

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  1. Esa Saukkonen
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Correspondence to Esa Saukkonen.

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Saukkonen, E., Lyytikäinen, K., Geydt, P. et al. Surface selective removal of xylan from refined never-dried birch kraft pulp. Cellulose 21, 3677–3690 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-014-0354-8

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