Lecture
PAT-enabled circular economy in the pulp and paper industry
- at -
- ICM Saal 3
- Type: Lecture
Lecture description
K. Wieland, Vienna, AT; M. Eisenköck, Vienna, AT; A. K. Schwaiger, Gratkorn, AT; M. Harasek, Vienna, AT; B. Lendl, Vienna, AT
Circular economy is defined as “a systems approach involving industrial processes and economic activities along the whole value chain that are restorative or regenerative by design, aiming for a climate-neutral and/or resource-efficient economy by maintaining the value of products, materials, and resources as long as possible” by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic). [1] In line with our efforts to support the Double Twin Transition of the Chemical Industry, we aim at highlighting the role of PAT in the chemical recovery of the energy-intensive pulp and paper industry.
The recovery of chemicals employed in the solubilization of cellulose from wood is a paramount process technology in the pulp and paper industry, contributing to both ecological and economic benefits. To efficiently recover valuable chemicals from the used cooking liquor, the liquor undergoes incineration followed by a cascade of Venturi scrubbers to retrieve the SO2 from the hot flue gas. Alongside complex interactions between gas and liquid phases, the scrubbers' operation is impeded by the formation of insoluble salts, thereby hampering the recovery efficacy. To support closing the loop, an enhanced process understanding is essential to counteract these precipitations.
Effects on the chemical system e.g. due to seasonally varying input streams may be corrected or averted by early countermeasures in the process control strategy requiring timely measurements within seconds instead of hours. Hence, unscheduled downtimes, increased maintenance costs, and loss of valuable chemicals due to unwanted precipitation may be mitigated, allowing chemicals to stay in the loop and supporting a resource-efficient process industry. We demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy is fit for purpose in combination with multivariate regression models based on several hundred reference spectra the spectral fingerprint is translated into critical process-relevant parameters to predict multiple target variables within minutes.
– parameters that are crucial for process control and presently determined by manual sampling and titration. Finally, results of successful test-wise online implementation at the plant are shown.
[1] Marco Pellegrini, Y. S. (2025, Nov.). www.cefic.org. Retrieved from https://cefic.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Cefic-Position-Paper-on-Circular-Economy-Actcombined-with-Green-Public-Procurement.pdf
Circular economy is defined as “a systems approach involving industrial processes and economic activities along the whole value chain that are restorative or regenerative by design, aiming for a climate-neutral and/or resource-efficient economy by maintaining the value of products, materials, and resources as long as possible” by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic). [1] In line with our efforts to support the Double Twin Transition of the Chemical Industry, we aim at highlighting the role of PAT in the chemical recovery of the energy-intensive pulp and paper industry.
The recovery of chemicals employed in the solubilization of cellulose from wood is a paramount process technology in the pulp and paper industry, contributing to both ecological and economic benefits. To efficiently recover valuable chemicals from the used cooking liquor, the liquor undergoes incineration followed by a cascade of Venturi scrubbers to retrieve the SO2 from the hot flue gas. Alongside complex interactions between gas and liquid phases, the scrubbers' operation is impeded by the formation of insoluble salts, thereby hampering the recovery efficacy. To support closing the loop, an enhanced process understanding is essential to counteract these precipitations.
Effects on the chemical system e.g. due to seasonally varying input streams may be corrected or averted by early countermeasures in the process control strategy requiring timely measurements within seconds instead of hours. Hence, unscheduled downtimes, increased maintenance costs, and loss of valuable chemicals due to unwanted precipitation may be mitigated, allowing chemicals to stay in the loop and supporting a resource-efficient process industry. We demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy is fit for purpose in combination with multivariate regression models based on several hundred reference spectra the spectral fingerprint is translated into critical process-relevant parameters to predict multiple target variables within minutes.
– parameters that are crucial for process control and presently determined by manual sampling and titration. Finally, results of successful test-wise online implementation at the plant are shown.
[1] Marco Pellegrini, Y. S. (2025, Nov.). www.cefic.org. Retrieved from https://cefic.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Cefic-Position-Paper-on-Circular-Economy-Actcombined-with-Green-Public-Procurement.pdf
