Impact of modifying conventional chlorine dioxide stage to hot chlorine dioxide during rice straw pulp bleaching on pulp, paper and effluent characteristics

Paper industry being a mature mega-scale industry is focusing on process oriented technical modifications to reduce dependency on wood fibers and resource utilization. In this research study, conventional chlorine dioxide (D-0) bleaching method was modified to hot chlorine dioxide (D-HT) with an aim of reducing the effluent load with special concern to chlorolignin compounds. These compounds were measured by gas chromatograph equipped with ECD detector. The chlorophenols, chlorocatechols, chloroguaiacols, chlorovanillins, chlorosyringols and bromophenols were reduced by 9%, 50%, 34%, 47%, 17% and 31%, respectively under D-HT based sequence at same dose of chemicals. The general environmental parameters i.e. COD, BOD, TS, colour, lignin and AOX also got reduced in D-HT based sequence. The modification of D-0 to D-HT was found to be effective as effluent quality was enhanced without compromising the optical and strength properties of cellulosic paper even at low dose of chlorine dioxide.