Development of a lignin biorefinery integrated into a Kraft pulp mill

Integrated lignin biorefineries present opportunities to increase the profitability of Kraft pulp mills through the diversification of product portfolio and improved sustainability. The purpose of this work is to develop optimized lignin biorefinery designs, which would be integrated into a Kraft pulp mill. A methodology combining process simulation, analysis and synthesis is proposed to achieve the purpose. Lignin acid precipitation process will be optimized in terms of chemical usage and yield and will be integrated into Kraft process. The impacts on energy and Na/S balances will be analyzed and quantified. CO2 , H2S04 and water required for lignin precipitation and washing will be provided internally. Finally, strategies to minimize the chemical and energy consumption of integrated lignin biorefinery and Kraft mill will be proposed. Following the method would lead to optimized, sustainable and integrated lignin biorefinery designs, which can be used for process development by the partner organizations'.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Jean Paris

Student:

Miyuru Kannangara

Partner:

Kruger Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Pulp and paper

University:

Polytechnique Montréal