Use of Endoglucanase and Accessory Enzymes to Facilitate Mechanical Pulp Nanofibrillation

Although selective enzyme treatments have been used to successfully fibrillate chemical pulps, high lignin-containing mechanical pulps have proven to be more recalcitrant. When a bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) was sulfonated prior to enzymatic treatment, relatively good fibrillation was achieved, although some pulp hydrolysis occurred after 6 h hydrolysis when using a commercial cellulase enzyme preparation (Cellic CTec 3). To try to minimize pulp losses, various enzyme cocktails, including endoglucanase (EG), xylanase, mannanase, and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO), were assessed for their ability to enhance fibrillation while minimizing cellulose hydrolysis. It was apparent that the yield as well as the zeta potential of the lignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils increased with enzyme treatment. This was likely due to an increase in surface charge and a decrease in particle size after LPMO and hemicellulase treatments, respectively. When carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) were used to quantify fiber changes, it was apparent that sulfonation had increased the accessibility of enzymes, while the combined action of the hemicellulases and LPMO increased EG accessibility to the less-ordered regions of the mechanical pulp, resulting in enhanced fibrillation. This work described, for the first time, the synergistic action of EG and various accessory enzymes enhancing mechanical pulp nanofibrillation.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of different enzyme treatments on mechanical pulp, achieving enhanced fibrillation and reduced cellulose hydrolysis by sulfonating BCTMP and using various enzyme cocktails. It was found that the yield and zeta potential of lignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils increased after enzyme treatments, possibly due to changes in surface charge and particle size.