Membrane Filtration Opportunities for the Treatment of Black Liquor in the Paper and Pulp Industry

Black liquor is a highly alkaline liquid by-product of the kraft pulping process, rich in organic molecules (hemicelluloses, lignin, and acids) inorganic chemicals such as sodium salts sulphur-containing compounds. The release this wastewater without further treatment could have serious environmental financial implications. Therefore, costly process used nowadays. Nanofiltration has been studied last few years promising alternative to recycle cooking required for separation lignin cellulose, but development pH-stable membranes with potential operate at industrial scales fundamental order make possible. In study, filtration performance two in-house made evaluated compared commercial NF membrane determine viability their use black liquor. For purpose, experiments simulated were performed. We identified that Membrane A higher application due its competitive permeate flux (ca. 24 L m?2 h?1 trans-membrane pressure 21.5 bar), high rejection components from (on average, 92.50% TOC, 84.10% CO32?, 88.70% sulphates, 73.21% Na+, 99.99% Mg2+).