Use of alkyleneamines for enhancing lime mud dewatering

Abstract

A process for dewatering lime mud in a kraft pulping process is described. The process includes an improvement which comprises adding an effective amount of an alkyleneamine to the lime mud prior to filtration. The preferred alkyleneamine is ethyleneamine, that is, an amine having at least one —(CR2—CR2—NH—)— unit wherein each R independently is H or an alkyl (straight, branched or cyclic) group of from about 1 to about 10 carbon atoms. Ethyleneamines include ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenediamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, piperazine, aminoethylpiperazine, and ethyleneamine mixtures such as mixtures of ethyleneamine oligomers having an average molecular weight of about 200-500.

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