Treatment of recycled kraft pulps with Trichoderma reesei hemicellulases and cellulases

Effects of recycling ECF-bleached softwood kraft pulp on pulp properties were evaluated in the laboratory. The tensile strength, fiber flexibility and WRV lost during drying of the pulp were recovered by refining between the cycles which, however, resulted in deteriorated drainage properties. The recycled pulps were treated with purified Trichoderma reesei cellulases and hemicellulases and the changes in fiber properties due to enzymatic treatments were characterized. The endoglucanases (EG I and EG II) significantly improved pulp drainage already at low dosage levels, and EG II was found to be more effective at a given level of carbohydrate solubilization. Combining hemicellulases with the endoglucanase treatments increased the positive effects of the endoglucanases on pulp drainage. However, as a result of the endoglucanase treatments a slight loss in strength was observed. Combining mannanase with endoglucanase treatments appeared to increase this negative effect, whereas the impact of xylanase was not significant. Although the drainage properties of the pulps could be improved by selected enzymes, the water retention capacity of the dried hornified fibers could not be recovered by any of the enzymes tested.