Pulp and Paper

Research into the application of science and engineering principles to the pulp and paper industry spans several fields in Chemical Engineering.  A wide variety of expertise is crucial to understanding and optimizing pulp and paper processes.  Current research is currently being done in many aspects of pulp and paper processing:

  • Chemical and energy recovery
  • Coating and calendaring
  • Fluid mechanics
  • Heat transfer
  • Mechanical pulping
  • Particulate systems
  • Printing and converting
  • Pulping and bleaching
  • Microbiology

Research is also currently being carried out in collaboration with industry under consortia of the following specific topics:  

  • Surface science for new and improved paper products and paper chemicals
  • Minimizing the impact of pulp and paper mill discharges
  • Increasing the throughput and reliability of recovery boilers and lime kilns
  • Surface science for superior paper in the digital era

Facilities

Entrained flow reactor:  Used to characterize the combustion behaviour of biofuels
Thermal Analyzer:   Used to analyze the thermal behaviour (ie. melting temperature, heat absorption) of ash and inorganic compounds
 
Wet lab:  Fully equipped wet lab with handsheet maker, PFI mill, disintegrator, etc.
 
Dry Lab:  Fully equipped 50% RH lab with tensile, zero-span, Elmendorf, caliper, gloss, etc.
 
Laboratory calendar