Method for forming pulp from processed recycled fibers

A method for producing cellulosic products, comprising:

• providing recycling mill sludge comprising cellulosic fibers, ink, and a heavy metal;
• adding water and a chelating agent to the recycling mill sludge, thereby producing an aqueous composition having a consistency that is suitable for processing in a pulper;
• processing the aqueous composition in the pulper for a period of time sufficient to form a cellulosic pulp comprising the cellulosic fibers from the recycling mill sludge, wherein the recycling mill sludge and the pulp are produced in different mills;
• and
• forming a cellulosic product that comprises the pulp.

A method for producing cellulosic products, comprising:

• forming an aqueous composition in a pulper comprising a recycling mill sludge, a caustic agent, a bleaching agent, a chelating agent, wherein the chelating agent chelates the heavy metal in the recycling mill sludge a deinking agent, and sufficient water to produce a consistency that is suitable for processing in the pulper, wherein the recycling mill sludge comprises cellulosic fibers, ink, and a heavy metal;
• processing the aqueous composition in the pulper for a period of time sufficient to form a pulp comprising the cellulosic fibers from the recycling mill sludge, wherein the recycling mill sludge and the pulp are produced in different mills;
• forming a pulp mixture, the mixture comprising pulp produced from materials selected from the group consisting of old magazines, old newspapers, virgin pulp, and mixtures thereof, wherein at least about 40 percent by weight of cellulosic fibers in the pulp mixture are from the recycling mill sludge;
• and
• forming the pulp mixture into a cellulosic product.

A method for producing cellulosic products, comprising:

• forming an aqueous composition in a pulper comprising a recycling mill sludge comprising cellulosic fibers, ink, and a heavy metal, about 1 weight percent sodium hydroxide, about 1 weight percent hydrogen peroxide, about 1 weight percent of a deinking agent, a chelating agent in an amount sufficient to chelate substantially all of the heavy metals present in the recycling mill sludge, the chelating agent being selected from the group consisting of aminocarboxylic acids, salts of aminocarboxylic acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids, salts of hydroxycarboxylic acids, aminophosphonic acids, salts of aminophosphonic acids, and mixtures thereof, and sufficient water to produce a consistency suitable for processing in the pulper;
• processing the aqueous composition in the pulper for a period of time sufficient to form a pulp comprising the cellulosic fibers from the recycling mill sludge, wherein the recycling mill sludge and the pulp comprising the cellulosic fibers from the recycling mill sludge are produced in different mills;
• forming a pulp mixture, the pulp mixture comprising pulp produced from materials selected from the group consisting of old magazines, old newspapers, virgin pulp, and mixtures thereof, wherein at least about 40 weight percent of cellulosic fibers in the pulp mixture are from the recycling mill sludge;
• and
• forming the pulp mixture into cellulosic products.

A process for making a cellulosic pulp from recycling mill sludge produced by another mill, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing recycling mill sludge comprising cellulosic fibers, ink, and a heavy metal;
• (b) adding to the recycling mill sludge water, a caustic agent, a bleaching agent, a chelating agent wherein the chelating chelates the heavy metal in the recycle mill sludge, and a deinking agent, thereby producing an aqueous composition having a consistency that is suitable for processing in a pulper;
• and
• (c) processing the aqueous composition in the pulper for a period of time sufficient to form a cellulosic pulp comprising the cellulosic fibers from the recycling mill sludge, wherein the pulp is suitable for production of newsprint.