Rapid triglyceride assay for use in pulp pitch control

Abstract

Enzymatic methods are provided for determining the surface triglycerides content in a sample of wood pulp. The methods preferably comprise reacting triglycerides which are present on the surface of the wood pulp fibers in the sample in the presence of a lipase to form glycerol and fatty acids, and then determining the difference between the amount of free glycerol present in the sample and the amount of glycerol formed from said triglycerides. The method is useful as a quick, portable, accurate, and low cost assay for assessing the amount of triglycerides present at various sample points in pulp and paper mills, which advantageously serves as a diagnostic tool for use in controlling the undesirable deposition of pitch during the papermaking process.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 285,259, filed Apr. 20, 2001.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The methods, compositions, and kits described herein are generally in the field of diagnostic tools and methods for use in controlling pitch in pulp and paper mill processes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Minimizing or preventing the deposit of pitch in pulp and paper making processes is critical to minimizing equipment fouling and down time, maximizing production efficiency, and improving product quality. Pitch is composed of low molecular weight olephilic materials (primarily triglycerides, fatty acids, terpenes, resin acids and esters), which are released from wood fibers during chemical and mechanical pulping processes. This resinous substance usually precipitates as calcium and magnesium salts, causing problems with the wet end components of paper machines. [0004] Known methods for pit...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] Enzymatic methods are provided for determining the depositable triglyceride content in a suspension of wood pulp. The methods are useful for rapidly assessing the amount of triglycerides present at various sample points in pulp and paper mills, which advantageously serves as a diagnostic tool for use in controlling the undesirable deposition of pitch during the pulping and paper making process. The methods advantageously can be done at low cost using portable equipment, if desired.

[0015] A variety of reaction sequences can be used to convert the glycerol or fatty acids to an easily quantifiable, measurable species. Glycerol detection is preferred for its low cost, portability, accuracy, and short assay time.

Problems solved by technology

This resinous substance usually precipitates as calcium and magnesium salts, causing problems with the wet end components of paper machines.

Unfortunately, known methods of triglyceride analysis of pulp take between about 8 and 24 hours to complete one set of samples.

Therefore, the test results are useful only for post evaluation of the process system; they do not provide an assessment of the current state of the process, and yield unreliable and unfocused results.

Accordingly, use of analytical methods to accurately apply pitch control measures is quite limited, as the dynamic nature of the pitch level in a continuous papermaking process requires a timely response by the pitch control measures.

The extensive extraction, evaporation, and titration procedures required to assess fatty acid content are time consuming and labor intensive.

These extraction-based methods typically take between about 8 and 24 hours to complete, require the use of potentially dangerous volatile organic compounds or toxic solvents, and are very labor intensive.

The instrumental analysis is not portable for on site analysis, and the results often are inaccurate or irreproducible.

A further disadvantage of known methods is that pitch deposition does not correlate directly with the total organic extractive content of the pulp.

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