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Contents
1 Summary ...........................................................................................................3
2 Introduction ........................................................................................................4
3 Systematic approach to Water Management......................................................5
4 Minimising water usage......................................................................................7
4.1 Cooling water network 7
4.2 Preparation and dilution of chemicals 7
4.3 Paper machine showers 7
4.4 Sealing waters 7
5 Optimum Water circuit Layout ............................................................................8
5.1 Strict separation of water loops together with counter-current flows 8
5.2 Broke system management 8
5.3 Optimal water arrangement, water clarification and recycling of process
water for different purposes. 8
5.4 Adequate storage capacity 9
5.5 De-inking plant: generation of clarified water 9
6 Appropriate effluent treatment..........................................................................11
6.1 Installation of an equalization basin and primary treatment of waste water 11
6.2 Secondary treatment 11
6.3 Anaerobic treatment as first stage of biological waste water treatment 12
6.4 Chemical precipitation of waste water from paper mills 13
7 Integration of advanced water treatment as an option to further reduce
process water loading .............................................................................................14
7.1 Introduction 14
7.2 Choice of technology 14
7.3 Elimination of organic compound 15
7.4 Elimination of inorganic compounds 15
8 Conclusions .....................................................................................................17
9 Literature .........................................................................................................18
9.1 Overview 18
9.2 Scientific background and investigations 18
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1 SUMMARY
One important outcome of the EU-funded Project PAPERBREF1 is the water management
concept about how to operate mills with minimum water use in European regions with
difficult boundary conditions. This concept is based upon studies performed in 30 paper
mills in the region of Tuscany, Italy, in 2002 and 2003. The paper grades produced in
these mills are packaging paper and tissue made of virgin fibre or recovered fibre. All
conclusions given are based on the results of these studies.
It is the aim of this study to describe all methods that have been successfully applied in
paper mills operating in typical European regions with difficult boundary conditions with
regard to water use. All methods mentioned are therefore adapted to these specific
conditions. Their implementation is a success factor that ensures compliance with local
and European standards.
The most important fields for achieving optimum water management are:
• a structured approach towards water management in general
• minimised and improved fresh water use
• optimum water circuit layout
• appropriate effluent treatment
• integration of advanced water treatment as an option to reduce process water
loading further
The latter should only be adopted if all other methods have been implemented and the
process water loadings are still too high. In any case, the most challenging part of
achieving improved water management is to counteract the build-up of detrimental
substances within the process and in the effluent.
The solution chosen is always an individual combination of the options described in this
document. The list of publications given is intended to enable the reader to obtain
additional information concerning improved water management in paper mills.
1
Water consumption reduction through application of the BREF for pulp and paper industry in
example paper mills - Feasibility, measures and local implications. Funded by the European
th
Commission within the 5 Framework program
D16 : WATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT Page 4 of 23
2 INTRODUCTION
Knowledge acquired according to the PAPERBREF project concerning packaging paper
machine from recovered paper and tissue paper machines from virgin or recovered fibres
helps us define technical guidelines on a water management concept. This concept is
based on the BREF DOCUMENT and analysed through PAPERBREF project
experiments to minimise water usage.
Water reduction methods in paper and board machines are a complex issue and depend
greatly on the degree of closure desired. A balance between the advantages and the
drawbacks associated with the closing-up of water systems should be established. The
acceptable level of closure will depend on the paper grade produced, raw materials used
and water and pulp circuit management.
D16 : WATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT Page 5 of 23
For integrated pulp and paper mills and in particular recovered paper based mills, the
strict separation of water loops together with counter-current flows is of major
importance to restrict the organic load of process water around the paper machine.
The measure adopted to minimise water consumption should be applied step by step.
The following chapter describes the BAT mentioned above. They are classified in 4
groups: BAT concerning water management, BAT concerning the minimising of fresh
water consumption, BAT concerning Waste Water management and Advanced
Technology that could be applied in extreme cases where the water system closure must
be important.
D16 : WATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT Page 7 of 23
5.3 Optimal water arrangement, water clarification and recycling of process water
for different purposes.
The main principle of an optimal water arrangement is to backward re-use process water
in the systems, counter current to the fibre flow. The white water from the paper machine
is use for stock dilution before the fan pump (short circulation). The overflow is clarified in
saveall. One of the most important components of the paper machine white water system
is the saveall which separate liquids from solids. The saveall clarified water can be then
used in mill applications for adjusting stock consistency and in substitution of fresh water
application such as paper machine showers. The recovered stock is then re-use in pulp
circuit preferably in the machine chest. Clarification is achieve by sedimentation, flotation
or filtration. Each of these technologies has its own advantages and limitations.
Sedimentation tank are not any more available as saveall because of the length of time
involved for clarification which is not compatible with water circuit closure, risk of
anaerobic fermentation is too high. The most commonly used clarifiers today for white
water clarification are flotation saveall for tissue paper mill and for corrugating paper mill
and disk filter for all kind of production (and particularly for fine papers).
D16 : WATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT Page 9 of 23
Flotation save-alls are effective in removing suspended and colloidal material but need the
help of coagulant/flocculant agents. At optimum conditions, flotation save-alls have a good
TSS removal efficiency. They are suitable for grades having fine and colloidal material in
stock but not for grades using fillers. The main disadvantages of flotation save-alls are:
• difficulties in paper machine operation when recovered stock is added near the fan
pump
• the sensitivity of flotation efficiency to process disturbances
• and operational costs
In a disk filter, liquid is forced through the filter layer by applying a vacuum. The build-up
of the fibres on the filter wire serves as the main filtration medium. The white water filtrate
is typically collected as two separate, cloudy and clear fractions. In some cases, even a
super clear fraction has been separated. The super clear filtrate from a disk filter could
have 10-20 mg/l and clear filtrate 20-50 mg/l solids, in comparison with well over 50 mg/l
of other save-alls. Thus, clear filtrate can be used in paper machines. The cloudy filtrate is
readily re-used in machine broke pulping and stock dilution. The main disadvantages of
disk filter are:
• Space constraints: the disk filter must be installed several metres above the floor
• High maintenance costs
from de-inking process water is carried out in micro-flotation systems : the DAF. Unlike
water clarification in the paper mill, the solid material recovered from the DAF contains
contaminants and has to be disposed of as sludge.
D16 : WATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT Page 11 of 23
7.1 Introduction
Some paper mills have totally closed up the process circuits. The reasons are often linked
to an environmental constraint (lack of fresh water, town proximity, reject legislation too
strict). But for a paper mill, working with a totally closed water system is very difficult:
concentration near 40 g/l in COD is obtained with totally closed circuits. Drawbacks are
multiple: corrosion problems because of anaerobic conditions associated with sulphate
reduction bacteria and high temperature, increasing use of additives (biocides, slimicides,
anti-foaming and retention adjuvants), clogging of wire and felts, product quality problems,
scaling formation. One way to limit the drawbacks is to introduce kidney devices in the
circuit. With deconcentration processes, it would be possible to achieve a COD level and
a saltiness in the circuits equivalent to an open circuit with acceptable concentration levels
providing good characteristics to the paper products. But integration of required kidney
devices needs high investment, increased operating costs and can lead to an important
increase in reject and sludge.
Ultrafiltration
Ultrafiltration
Nanofiltration
Nanofiltration
Reverse osmosis
osmosis
Electro
Electro dialyses
dialyses
Ozonisation
Evaporator
Evaporatore
Fig. 1 Treatment technologies available and respective elimination of contaminants (bubble size
correlates with efficiency)
D16 : WATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT Page 15 of 23
7.4.2 Evaporation
Evaporation techniques are mainly used in pulp processing for waste liquid evaporation.
The removal efficiency of these techniques is effective for salts containing univalent and
bivalent ions and also for COD. The extreme cleanliness of the obtained condensate is
the great advantage of the technique. However, so far no evaporation plant exists for the
treatment of paper making process waters, mainly due to the high investment costs.
These techniques for in-mill treatment are promising for paper mill operation with a totally
closed water circuit. The condensate could be used as raw water and the concentrate
should be eliminated from the circuit.
At PTS, there was a research project from 1995 to 1997 on vacuum evaporation for the
treatment of circuit water.
D16 : WATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT Page 17 of 23
8 CONCLUSIONS
Paper mills, located in regions with difficult boundary conditions, should be able to work
with minimum fresh water consumption by applying the combination of the guidelines
described below. It is important to note that the reduction in fresh water use involves
further modification in the process water management. Without specific study to optimise
the water circuit arrangement, the reduction in fresh water use can lead to major
disturbances in the operation of the paper machine.
Each paper and board machine has its own characteristics and the best solution to
minimising fresh water consumption will be specific to the machine. To operate with
minimum negative environmental impact, paper mills must have a complete overview of
the process. The environmental performance achieved through the application of
individual BAT depends on the specific situation of each paper mill. The methodology
applied in the PAPERBREF project provides a detailed global view of the water circuit
arrangement and allows the system to be re-organised to improve water use in the paper
making process and to improve water quality around the paper machine. Simulation tools,
specific to each paper mill, make it possible to find the best arrangement of process
circuits and to determine the optimum device to reach specific objectives.
Despite advanced technology, the complete water circuit remains very difficult to apply
and still requires years of research activity.
To obtain a precise view of their optimisation potential, paper mill managers can ask for
water management expert consultancy from the Helpdesk accessible via the
PAPERBREF Web site (http://www.paperbref.info) .
D16 : WATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT Page 18 of 23
9 LITERATURE
9.1 Overview
ZIPPEL F.: Water management in paper mills
Heidenheim, Germany: Dr. F. Zippel 2001
MÖBIUS C.H.: Abwasser der Papier- und Zellstoffindustrie (Wastewater of Pulp and Paper
Production)
German Version 3.02
http://www.cm-consult.de
N.N. (H.A.SIMONS, NLK CONSULTANTS, SANDWELL, PULP and PAPER RESEARCH
INSTITUTE OF CANADA): Water use reduction in the pulp and paper industry 1994
– a monograph
Vancouver: Canadian Pulp and Paper Association 1994
N.N.: Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC), Reference Document on Best Available
Techniques in the Pulp and Paper Industry, July 2000
European commision, European IPPC Bureau (Ed.)
WILLIAMSON P.N., BROWNE T.C. (ED.): Energy cost reduction in the pulp and paper industry
Pointe Claire: Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada, 1999
WEARING J.T., HUANG S., PIGOTT A., OUCHI M.D. and A.WONG: New white-water
management strategies for integrated newsprint mills. Pulp & Paper Canada 86
(1985), Nr. 5, T139 – T145
WEBB L.: Closing up the loop without closing down the mill
In: Pulp & Paper International, S. 43-46 (1997), Nr. 6