Method for recovering chemicals and by-products from high-sulphidity pulping liquors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016002853-A1
Application number	US-201414761758-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 3, 2014
Priority date	Feb 4, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method used in connection with the recovery of pulping chemicals from spent pulping liquor produced by kraft-type pulping at very high sulphidity. In the method, spent pulping liquor is acidified to a relatively low pH which converts a most or all of the sulphide and hydrosulphide in the liquor to hydrogen sulfide. Sulphur containing gases released from the acidification of the spent pulping liquor, together with other sulphur gases collected at the pulp mill, are converted into an acid compound. This acid compound is employed as an acidification agent in the acidification of the spent pulping liquor. The amount of acid compound generated by the conversion of sulphur containing gases may be sufficient to provide most, if not all, of the acid needed for the acidification of the spent pulping liquor.

First claim

1 . A method to be used in connection with recovery of pulping chemicals from spent pulping liquor produced by kraft-type alkaline pulping at very high sulphidity, the method comprising:
a) acidifying the spent pulping liquor in one or more stages to a pH low enough to convert at least a large portion of both hydrosulphide ions and the sulphide ions in the spent pulping liquor into hydrogen sulphide, b) converting to an acid compound sulphur containing gases released in the acidification process of step a), wherein the sulphur containing gases comprise hydrogen sulphide, and c) the acid compound generated in step b) is employed in step a) and the amount of the acid compound generated in step b) is sufficient in quantity to provide at least most of the acid required in step a).

2 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the sulphidity employed in the pulping stage is in the range of 50 percent to 100 percent.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the pH reached in the acidification step is below 7.

4 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein, in conjunction with the acidification of the spent pulping liquor in step a), one or more by-products are partially or totally recovered from the liquor and/or one or more non-process elements are partially or totally removed from the liquor.

5 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the acidification of the spent pulping liquor is carried out in a stepwise manner and one or more by-products are partially or totally recovered and/or one or more non-process elements are partially or totally removed.

6 . The method as in claim 1 the spent pulping liquor is combusted in a chemical-recovery boiler after step a).

7 . The method as in claim 6 , further comprising applying an evaporation process to the spent pulping liquor before step a).

8 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the spent pulping liquor is from a pulping stage and is split into two or more streams and at least one by-produce or non-process element is removed from one of the streams of the spent pulping liquor.

9 . A method as in claim 1 , wherein the spent pulping liquor is from a pulping stage, and the spent pulping liquor is split into streams, and steps a), b) and c) are applied to at least one of the streams but not to all of these streams.

10 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the spent pulping liquor is from a pulping process operating at very high sulphidity and complements a kraft pulping process, wherein at least part of a chemical-recovery process is common to both the very high sulphidity and the kraft pulping processes.

11 . A method comprising:
receiving spent pulping liquor from a kraft-type alkaline pulping process operating in the range of 50 percent to 100 percent sulphidity; acidifying the spent pulping liquor to reduce the pH of the spent pulping liquor to no greater than 7, wherein the acidification converts hydrosulphide ions and sulphide ions in the spent pulping liquor to hydrogen sulphide; converting to an acidic material sulphur containing gases released from the acidification of the spent pulping liquor, wherein the sulphur containing gases include hydrogen sulphide, and employing the acidic material in the acidification of the spent pulping liquor.

12 . The method as in claim 11 , further comprising adding sulphur gases released in pulping or evaporation operations to the sulphur containing gases converted to the acidic material.

13 . The method as in claim 11 , wherein the acidic material includes a sulphuric acid.

14 . The method as in claim 11 , further comprising recovering a by-product or non-process element from the spent pulping liquor in conjunction with the acidification of the spent pulping liquor.

15 . The method as in claim 11 , wherein the acidification of the spent pulping liquor in performed in steps, and a by-product or a non-process element is recovered from one of the steps.

16 . The method as in claim 11 , further comprising combusting the spent pulping liquor in a chemical-recovery boiler after acidification of the spent pulping liquor.

17 . The method as in claim 11 , further applying an evaporation process to the spent pulping liquor before acidification of the spent pulping liquor.

Assignees

• Andritz Oy

Inventors

• Mckeough Paterson

Classifications

• D21C11/06

  Treatment of pulp gases; Recovery of the heat content of the gases; {Treatment of gases arising from various sources in pulp and paper mills; Regeneration of gaseous SO2, e.g. arising from liquors containing sulfur compounds} · CPC title

• D21C11/04

  of alkali lye · CPC title

• D21C11/0007 Primary

  Recovery of by-products, i.e. compounds other than those necessary for pulping, for multiple uses or not otherwise provided for (volatile compounds obtained by decomposition of spent liquors in order to regenerate them D21C11/125; compounds obtained by fractionating the liquors in order to regenerate them D21C11/0042) · CPC title

• D21C11/0035

  Introduction of compounds, e.g. sodium sulfate, into the cycle in order to compensate for the losses of pulping agents · CPC title

• D21C11/12 Primary

  Combustion of pulp liquors · CPC title