Date of Defense

Spring 4-11-1995

First Advisor

David Peterson, Paper and Printing Science and Engineering

Second Advisor

Raja Aravamuthan, Paper and Printing Science and Engineering

Third Advisor

C. Van Maltby, National Council of the Paper Industry for Air and Stream Improvement

Keywords

waste water

Abstract

The Alcell Process is a new pulping process which uses alcohol as the main pulping chemical, instead of conventional sulfur based compounds. In an effort to ascertain whether process wastes can be biologically treated, waste samples were obtained from Alcell's demonstration mill in Canada, and run in a lab scale aeration basin. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and volatile suspended solids (VSS) tests were run to observe the behavior of microorganisms in a treatment system with Alcell waste material. M/K digester runs were performed in order to obtain kraft black liquor for use as a control. Samples of both Alcell and kraft were run through gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) to try to identify specific compounds in the waste samples, which could help or hurt the treatment process. It was found that the microorganisms used in the treatment of wastewater were better acclimated to treating kraft waste than Alcell. More kraft was converted to biomass, which led to lower COD and higher solids for kraft wastes. On an industrial scale this would lead to higher costs for the treatment of Alcell waste, because higher detention times would be necessary to treat the Alcell waste to EPA standards. GCMS trial results were inconclusive, since procedures for isolating the suspected compounds were not available.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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