Enzyme Processes for Pulp and Paper: A Review of Recent Developments

The pulp and paper industry is applying new, ecologically sound technology in its manufacturing processes. Many interesting enzymatic applications have been proposed in the literature. Implemented technologies tend to change the existing industrial process as little as possible. Commercial .applications include xylanases in prebleaching kraft pulps and various enzymes in recycling paper. In the future, value-added products could be built around enzyme processes. When new applications are proposed that do not fit into existing practices, either the process or the enzyme must be altered. The decision depends on process economics and the feasibility of changing the technology. We review here new applications of enzymes in the pulp and paper industry and how they might be changed to implement the technology on an industrial scale. Also, this review suggests how existing enzymes may be used by process engineers to improve the efficiency of unit operations, the pulp products, or both.