STUDIES ON LOW POLLUTION BLEACHING OF MIXED HARD WOOD KRAFT PULPS AND THEIR IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The recent changes in the Indian Paper industry have their genesis on the stringent environmental regulations stipulated by the charter on Corporate responsibility for environmental protection. Corporate responsibility for environmental protection (CREP) is now mandatory for large and small Paper Mills and has to be achieved in a phase manner over the next few years. Some of the provisions laid down under CREP will necessarily required modernization and technological up gradation, which should result in making the Indian Paper Industry more competitive. The provisions of the charter (which has been adopted by the industry for implementation) have acted as growth for the Indian Paper Industry. The large Pulp & Paper Mills, which account for a little more than a third of the total production, have adopted significant technology up gradation programs that reduce AOX emission through chlorine dioxide bleaching. This move of the large-scale sector has been driven by the AOX emission limit of 1.5Kg/T of paper, which must technically be achieved in the year 2005. Since this emission limit is to be further lowered to 1.0Kg / T. it will impel the industry to adopt the state of the art ECF bleaching and oxygen delignification technologies. The Indian Industry uses a lot of fresh water for the production of paper. As against the international benchmark of about 50 M3 / T as average Indian mill uses about 200M3 /T. Recently, some units have had to suspended their production in the due lack of fresh water. Water is mainly used for washing the pulp. As per CREP requirement, by 2005 the large pulp and paper mills, installed before 1992 have to reduce their water consumption too less than 140M3 / T..............