Celulose Nipo-Brasileira is one of the largest eucalyptus bleached kraft pulp mills in Brazil. It produces 860,000 tpy in two lines that are equipped with continuous digesters. Line 1 and line 2 produces ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) pulp with the sequences: Dhot(EOP)D(EP)D and D(EOP)DP, respectively. The mill has an activated sludge effluent treatment plant comprised of two aeration tanks with 20,000 m3 and it is equipped with superficial aerators followed by four secondary clarifiers (two for each reactor). In the last decades, CENIBRA has been optimizing and changing its processes in order to improve environmental performance. Aiming at decreasing effluent volume, COD and AOX loads, the Ahot(EOP)D(PO) sequence has been proposed and evaluated in lab-scale trials, with partial filtrate recycling. This paper proposes a filtrate recycling scheme that reduces bleach plant effluent volume by 9 m3/adt (air dry ton), i.e., about 50% of the total. The filtrate saved is partially diverted to the recausticizing cycle and to post oxygen washers. The reutilization of the Ahot filtrate in the recausticizing cycle to replace the filtrates currently used to wash lime mud and dregs was shown suitable. The impact of NPE´s in the calcium cycle was not significant. This strategy allowed a recovery of c.a. 12 kg NaOH/adt of pulp that would otherwise be wasted. Pulp bleachability and quality was not significantly affected. The discharged effluent coming from D(PO) stages (about 50%) showed low color, COD and AOX loads, and good bio-treatability (DBO5/COD).
Bleached kraft Eucalyptus pulp; partial bleach plant closure; pulp stability; chlorine dioxide consumption; pulp quality; operational costs
