Enzymatic treatment of wood chips
AssigneeUniversity of New Brunswick
InventorsKecheng LI, Andre PELLETIER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process using a multicomponent enzyme preparation to treat chips that have been crushed using a device that combines shear and compressive forces where treatment occurs mainly during decompression and reduces the specific energy consumption and/or increasing production of subsequent refining while maintaining or increasing handsheet physical properties. The enzyme preparation is to have a major endoglucanase activity, a significant mannanase activity and a slight cellobiohydrolase activity. This enzyme mixture is prepared from a genetically modified strain of Trichoderma reseii.
Claims29
A method for preparing mechanical pulp, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) exposing compressed wood chips to an enzymatic solution comprising an endoglucanase (EG), a cellobiohydrolase (CBH), and a mannanase (MAN) wherein the ratio of enzymatic activity of EG:CBH is at least 3 and of MAN:CBH is at least 1.5, and permitting the wood chips to decompress;
- and
- (ii) refining the product of step (i).
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.