fscn annual report 2015
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Fibre Science and Communication NetworkAnnual Report 2015
Annual Report 2015
Annual Report 2015
Faculty of Science Technology and Media Fibre Science and Communication Network Mid Sweden University Sundsvall 2016-03-31
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FSCN Annual Report 2015
© Diarienummer MIUN 2016/536, 2016-03-31 Printed by Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall ISBN: 978-91-88025-65-4 Faculty of Science, Technology and Media Mid Sweden University, 851 70 Sundsvall Phone: +46 (0)10 142 80 00 Report series 1650-5387
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Table of contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 5
2 Research funding ........................................................................................ 7
3 Doctoral and Licentiate Degrees ............................................................... 8
4 FSCN in numbers ........................................................................................ 9 New employees .............................................................................................. 10 The career program 2015-2017 ..................................................................... 10 Business Innovation Seminars ....................................................................... 10
5 Transformative Technologies .................................................................. 12 Research for growth and renewal .................................................................. 12 The Vision Transforming the Industrial Ecosystem ........................................ 12
6 Research Groups ...................................................................................... 14
7 Research projects ..................................................................................... 16
8 Guests and visitors ................................................................................... 18
9 FORIC – Competence development for regional renewal ..................... 24
10 Conferences ............................................................................................ 26 9th International Fundamental Mechanical Pulp Research Seminar .............. 26 Science Innovation Day 2015 ........................................................................ 26
11 Awards ..................................................................................................... 27 Medal of merit for Myat Htun .......................................................................... 27
12 Energy efficient mechanical pulping initiative (e2mp-i) ...................... 28 Summary ........................................................................................................ 28 Sub-projects in e2mp-i ................................................................................... 29 Project leaders in e2mp-i ............................................................................... 30 Short summary of results in Swedish ............................................................. 31
13 Accomplished PhD Degrees .................................................................. 33
14 A selection of researchers in FSCN ...................................................... 44
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1 . Introduction The strongest research area of FSCN has traditionally been high‐yield pulping and especially energy‐efficient mechanical pulping, or e2mp. We are now starting to harvest the fruits of that research. The final report of a large initiative funded by Swedish paper industry and Energy Agency shows results of all the projects run by companies, Mid Sweden University, Luleå University of Technology, Swedish Agricultural University, Chalmers, PFI and Innventia. While the industrial collaboration on energy savings continues, we also study increasingly the manufacture of packaging materials and nanocellulose in industrial scale. The evolution of e2mp is an example how we work for the renewal of forest industry and the creation of new Bioeconomy. FSCN is part of the efforts of Mid Sweden University to support the vision of the Transformation of the Industrial Ecosystem. Together with another research centre STC – Sensible Things that Communicate we form MIUN´s research environment of Transformative Technologies. The new name was launched last year. The opportunities created by the joint research environment of FSCN and STC are most clear in the area of KM2 ‐ Large Functional Surfaces where we together develop the harvesting and storage of electrical energy in vehicle, industrial processes etc. FSCN leads the research and development of materials and STC of devices. Last year we built two large project applications that strengthen the network of companies. The industrial graduate school FORIC and the projects supporting it are another area of STC‐FSCN collaboration. The focus is on the process development and business models of companies in the region. The graduate school started a year ago with 13 students. Over 20 companies are now interested in enrolling their employees in the second intake that would start 2017 if funding is granted. The projects in and around the graduate school study the utilisation of various side‐streams of papermaking. Another important part is environmental technologies and monitoring. Economically last year was a little challenging. A lot of our collaboration with the region has earlier been funded by the European Regional Development Fund, but last year the program did not allocate any resources to research. We are optimistic that some applications will be approved in 2016. Nevertheless, the deficit of 2015 will burden our economy for several years forward.
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On the positive side, last quarter of 2015 both VR and FORMAS granted us new research projects on cellulosic materials. In that area we are also member in an active European consortium that should be able to win more funding from Horizon 2020. The first academic results on environmentally‐friendly cellulose plastisation and dissolution are exciting, as are also the industrial possibilities. Through BioInnovation we have entered new networks to explore such applications. Finally I want to recommend the Business Innovation seminars that FSCN, STC, BioBusiness Arena and Fiber Optic Valley arrange together. We invite industry leaders to discuss the development and future of their businesses. The video broadcasts are becoming really popular and can be seen at www.miun.se/seminars also afterwards.
Kaarlo Niskanen, Research Director FSCN
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2. Research funding
Bo Rydin Stiftelse
Kempestiftelserna
Stiftelsen Åforsk
Stiftelsen Nils och Dorthi
Troëdssons forskningsfond
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3. Doctoral and Licentiate Degrees
x Ljunggren, Joel; ʺBiochemical Interactions of some Saproxylic Fungiʺ, Mid Sweden University, Licentiate Thesis ISSN 1652‐8948;116, ISBN: 978‐91‐88025‐12‐8 (2015)
x Johansson, Niklas; ʺMeasuring and modelling light scattering in paperʺ, Mid Sweden University, Doctoral Thesis, ISSN 1652‐893X, ISBN 978‐91‐88025‐27‐2 (2015)
x Olofsson, Madelen; ʺOn the Investigation of Chemical Parameters Reflecting Microbial Activity Linked to Nutrient Availability in Forest Soilʺ, Mid Sweden University, Doctoral Thesis, 230, ISSN 1652‐893X, ISBN 978‐91‐88025‐40‐1 (2015)
x Persson, Johan; ʺOn dynamic crack growth in discontinous materialsʺ, Mid Sweden University, Doctoral Thesis, ISSN 1652‐893X, ISBN 978‐91‐88025‐26‐5 (2015)
x Reyier‐Österling, Sofia; ʺDistribution of Fiber Characteristics as a Tool to Evaluate Mechanical Pulpsʺ, Mid Sweden University, Doctoral Thesis ISBN 978‐91‐86694‐66‐1 (2015)
x Öhmark, Sara: “Winter browsing by moose and hares in subarctic Birch forest: Scale, dependency and responses to food addition”, Mid Sweden University, Doctoral Thesis, ISSN:1652‐893X;229, ISBN: 978‐91‐88025‐38‐8 (2015)
Photo: Reception after the Defence of a Doctoral Thesis in
Engineering Physics with Johan Persson in June 2015.
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4. FSCN in numbers
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New employees x Lina Wiklund, is new PhD Student in the Eco Chemistry group
with prof. Erik Hedenström as supervisor. x Dr. Zhe Zhang, from Guilin University of Technology in China,
joined the Bioenergy group with Wennan Zhang as group manager in 2015. Zhe Zhang is associate professor in physical chemistry and she is working with research on corrosion in municipal solid waste combustion/gasification in close cooperation with the company Sundsvall Energi.
x Dr. Diogo Volpati is a new researcher in the research group Materials Physics with prof. Håkan Olin as group manager.
x Dr. Shakhawath Hossain is new researcher in the research group Complex Materials with prof. Tetsu Uesaka as group manager.
x Per Bergström, started as an industrial PhD Student in the Complex Materials group with prof. Tetsu Uesaka as supervisor in 2015. Per is employed by SCA Hygiene Products in Gothenburg and he works part time in Tetsu Uesakas research project FNMech, Fibre Network Design: Applications to hygiene products.
x Daniel Raposo, is new PhD Student in the research group Complex Materials with prof. Tetsu Uesaka as group manager.
The career program 2015-2017 Mid Sweden University conducts a career program for recently graduated researchers. The program began in spring 2015. Christina Dahlström, Kristina Göransson, Ida Svanedal, Erika Wallin and Fredrik Carlsson from department NAT and CHE (FSCN) participate in the career program. Part of their research will be on other universities abroad. The program will last for two years.
Business Innovation Seminars During 2015 we have arranged the monthly seminars Business Innovation Seminar in cooperation with the research centre STC and the innovation clusters BioBusiness Arena and Fiber Optic Valley. The seminars were also streamed on our website and the Youtube channel for Mid Sweden University. Follow the seminars online and afterwards on our website www.miun.se/seminars.
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Table Guest speakers in 2015
Guest speakers Date Website/Youtube watch
Hannele Arvonen, Setra Group 5 Feb 2015 59
Mathias Frenzel, SWT Paper 26 Mar 2015 108
Heikki Ilvespää, UPM Materials 7 May 2015 41
Tommy Sundin SCA 3 Sep 2015 127
Sven Löchen, Ren Fuel 5 Nov 2015 215
Magnus Hedin, SDC 3 Dec 2015 241
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5. Transformative Technologies Transformative Technologies is a research environment formed of the research centres STC and FSCN that collaborate with a mixture of forest and ICT industry. Transforming the Industrial Ecosystem describes a vision for regional renewal and growth. It combines the industrial strengths of the Sundsvall region with the dynamic force that Mid Sweden University represents. Since 2011, the Knowledge Foundation has been supporting us through the program research environment (KK Miljö).
Research for growth and renewal The university attracts and educates young people to work in the region and sustain industrial competitiveness. Through its research and knowledge transfer the university facilitates renewal. When acting in symbiosis, the current industrial core and new businesses at its edges can become an effective ecosystem that continuously renews itself. One of the goals of our research is to contribute to growth, transformation and innovation for the companies within the Transformative Technologies. Together with municipalities and companies we work with a regional agenda for research, innovation and education. The common agenda promotes cooperation within the region. Key partners for the development is the innovation clusters BioBusiness Arena, Fiber Optic Valley and Processum.
The Vision Transforming the Industrial Ecosystem The aim of the vision Transforming the Industrial Ecosystem is to contribute to development and growth from different perspectives. Transformation is important for the forest industries who need to develop new products and new business areas. Information technology is a growth engine that creates new products and services. By linking these two industries, we create an industrial ecosystem with particularly exciting prospects regionally and nationally. Co‐production is the central point of many of the research projects within the research environment, which means that project teams have both academic and industrial members. It provides dynamic and interesting environments that can identify solutions and thereby driving growth in both established and new companies. The research program of Transformative Technologies consists of six strategic actions that focus on different industrial aspects of improved
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competitiveness and renewal. These include two development areas where we have strong competence and want to determine how that can best be used to support the vision of industrial transformation:
x e2mp – Manufacturing in industrial scale x FORIC – Competence development for regional renewal x EISS – Process control and monitoring x KM2 – Large surfaces for electronic functionality x Measurement Systems – Development area x New cellulosic materials – Development area
Figure. All research projects funded in 2015 according to the Strategic Action and the nature of industrial development (Core vs Edge) in STC and FSCN. The volume of each project is shown by the area of the symbol: The smallest symbol ≤ 0.5 MSEK, and the largest = 12 MSEK. Funding sources: Faculty funding , KK‐foundation , Other Swedish foundations , EU‐regional , EU International , Direct funding non industry , Direct Industry , Research councils , and others .
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6. Research Groups We have eight research groups at FSCN.
1. Bioenergy – The Bioenergy gasification research group is focused on synthesis gas (“syngas”) production from biomass for automotive fuel production. The group manager is Asso. Prof. Wennan Zhang. Group members: Ulf Söderlind, Kristina Göransson, Zhe Zhang
2. Complex Materials ‐ The heart of research in complex materials group is in unfolding nature’s beautiful trick as a complex system, and in deploying it to redefine our current material design practices. The group manager is prof. Tetsu Uesaka. Group members: Christina Dahlström, Majid Alimadadi, Amanda Mattsson, Shakawath Hossain, Per Bergström, Daniel Raposo, Kaarlo Niskanen
3. Digital Printing Centre – This research group is located in Örnsköldsvik. The group manager is Mattias Andersson.
4. Eco Chemistry ‐ The main research interests of the Eco‐Chemistry group concerns synthesis, extraction and analysis of natural products. The group manager is prof. Erik Hedenström. Group members: Fredrik Andersson, Kerstin Sunnerheim, Erika Wallin, Joel Ljunggren, Rizan Rahmani, Lina Viklund, Mats Paulsson, Christian Schiebe
5. High Yield Pulping Technology ‐ Research focused on raw material, process technology and new or improved products and qualities for pulps and paper. The group manager is prof. Per Engstrand. Group members: Myat Htun (part time), Hans Höglund (part time), Per Gradin, Torbjörn Carlberg, Thomas Granfeldt (part time), Magnus Paulsson (part time), Lennart Salmén (part time), Olof Björkqvist, Birgitta Engberg, Jan‐Erik Berg, Olof Ferritsius, Rita Ferritsius (part time), Helena Fjellström, Louise Logenius, Sven Norgren, Gunilla Pettersson, Staffan Nyström (part time), Christer Sandberg (part time), Sinke Henshaw Osong, Erik Nelsson (part time), Folke Österberg (part time)
6. Materials Physics ‐ Our research concerns materials and we conduct research for advanced paper materials and functional applications. KM2 means square kilometers of areas that can be used for printing functionalities. The group manager is prof.
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Håkan Olin. Group members: Sven Forsberg (part time), Joakim Bäckström, Mikael Gulliksson, Lars Norin, Magnus Hummelgård, Jonas Örtegren, Renyun Zhang, Nicklas Blomquist, Martin Olsen, Britta Andres, Ann‐Christine Engström, Magnus Neuman, Per Edström, Lena Lorentzon, Morteza Abdipour, Thomas Wells, Diogo Volpati, Santosch Limaye, Thomas Öhlund, Viviane de Almeida Alecrim
7. Organic Chemistry ‐ The research interest of the organic chemistry group focuses around green catalysis and in particular the field of organic catalysis. The group manager is prof. Armando Cordova. Group members: Samson Afewerki, Rana Alimohhamdzadhe, Sevil Vaghefi and Carlos Palo‐Nieto.
8. Surface and Colloid Engineering ‐ The research in our group Surface and Colloid Engineering is focused on the following two main areas; Biomaterials and Metal chelation. The group manager is prof. Magnus Norgren. Group members: Björn Lindman, Håkan Edlund, Bo Westerlind, Ismail Ibrahem, Ida Svanedal, Ran Duan, Alireza Eivazihollagh, Jiayi Yang
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7. Research projects Research project Project leader 2D Inks Sven Forsberg Advanced High yield pulp for paperboard Gunilla Pettersson Avsalumassa av CTMP Gunilla Pettersson Bio2Fuel 2030 Wennan Zhang Blixtsintring Thomas Öhlund, Mattias
Andersson Cello – Native cellulose´s interplay in materials and dispersions
Magnus Norgren
Compac – Plasticized cellulose composites for packaging applications
Bo Westerlind
e2mp-i – energy efficient mechanical pulping initiative 12 sub-projects, finalized 2015, see p. 11
Per Engstrand
e2mp-rp – energy efficient mechanical pulping research profile, 10 sub-projects Bat 2012, Chip pre-treatment DD-refining, Efficient LC-refining, Pre-treatment strategies in high yield pulping, Refining of softened TMP fibres, Chip-refining efficiency, Fibre development models, Maximized fibre wall swelling in TMP & CTMP refining, Quantifying mechanical treatment during chipping
Per Engstrand
Enccp – Eco-friendly engineering of nanochrystalline cellulose for green packaging
Armando Cordova
Fibre Network Design: Applications to Hygiene Products
Tetsu Uesaka
Foric – Forest as a resource industrial research college 14 research projects with industrial PhD, see p. 10
Per Engstrand, Olof Björkqvist
Grön kemi och hållbarhet; innovativa och miljövänliga katalytiska processer för cellulosabaserade material
Armando Cordova
Grönt boende - Stärkt beställarkompetens i projektet Grönt boende
Olof Björkqvist
Högox – Highly selective electrocatalysts for anodic oxidation
Joakim Bäckström
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Research project Project leader Keps - Kinetic Energy Storage in Paper-Based Supercapacitors
Sven Forsberg
Light-weight structural composites from fibre-based materials
Tetsu Uesaka
Lignofuel Armando Cordova LiON-Cost effective silicon-carbon composite anodes for lithium-ion batteries in automotive applications
Joakim Bäckström
Manufacturing of short-fibre yarn Bo Westerlind Mechanics of decubitus ulcers in human skin Tetsu Uesaka Miljöhorisont 2020 Erik Hedenström Modulit – monolistiskt integrerade energilagringsmoduler
Sven Forsberg
Morphology studies on future biocomposite Christina Dahlström Novocell - Novel use of native cellulose in dispersions and functional biocomposites
Magnus Norgren
Ocxis - Operation and change of complex industrial systems
Olof Björkqvist
Paper solar cells Håkan Olin Polyurethanes, composites and foams from bio-based resources
Ismail Ibrahem
Reliability of fibre based materials Tetsu Uesaka Sprickor vid gjutning Torbjörn Carlberg Svenskt förgasningscenter, Etapp 2 Wennan Zhang Smart street lights Mikael Gulliksson Utveckling av industriellt gångbar tillverkningsmetod för tungmetallsbindande tensider
Magnus Norgren
Transform Magnus Norgren Uniclean 2.0 Håkan Edlund Utbrottsrisk för ett tvåarters barkborresystem Erik Hedenström Ytmodifierad CTMP för starka förpackningsmaterial
Sven Norgren
Vattenfilter för tungmetaller Ida Svanedal
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8. Guests and visitors Helene Hellmark Knutsson, Minister in Higher Education and Research On April 20, 2015, the minister in higher education and research Helene Hellmark Knutsson was our guest in the research centres FSCN and STC. She met our researchers Britta Andres and Ann‐Christine Engström from FSCN and Stefan Haller and Peng Cheng from STC. Britta and Ann‐Christine presented our supercapacitors with graphene and nanocellulose. Stefan and Peng showed their prototype for an electric engine.
Helene Hellmark Knutsson together with Mattias O´Nils and Stefan Haller at STC research centre.
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Carl XVI Gustaf His Majesty the King Carl XVI Gustaf visited Västernorrland to learn more about the countyʹs forest industry and research in September 2015. The program included a visit in our laboratories at FSCN and Mid Sweden University along with Governor Gunnar Holmgren.
Fibre laboratory with demonstration of the equipment for the treatment of fibres, energy efficiency and high yield pulps.
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Physics Lab where we build the super capacitor ‐ the future of batteries, who rapidly store and use the braking energy from a car.
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Chemistry lab with new cellulosic materials, biomaterials and metal chelation. We talked about sustainable packaging, paper yarn with textile from paper etc.
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Knowledge Foundation On September 15th, 2015, the management for the research funding Knowledge Foundation visited Mid Sweden University.
Our guests from Knowledge Foundation were Madelene Sandström, CEO, Stefan Östholm, Director of Operations, Olof Hugander, Director of Operations and Olle Vogel. From Knowledge Foundation Board participated: Ola Asplund, senior advisor IF Metall, Lars Ekedahl, Professor Emeritus, Kerstin Eliasson, President of the Foundation. Former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Council for Research Infrastructures (RFI), Kajsa Ellegård, Professor of Technology and Social Change, Linköping University, Bengt Lennartson, professor of automation, Chalmers University of Technology, Helena Malmqvist, Coordinator of external research, ABB AB Corporate Research, Margareta Norell Bergendahl, professor and Vice President Royal Institute of Technology, Björn Sundell, R & D consultant, former CEO Foundation for Agricultural Research, Gunnar Wetterberg, historian, author
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Photo: Professor Håkan Olin and the research group for Materials Physics shows the physics lab in Sundsvall.
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9. FORIC – Competence development for regional renewal Foric is a graduate school in close cooperation with industries and companies where PhD students are employed by the companies and do their research studies part time. Our aim is to create a network of value streams around bio‐based industries and close companies and increase the competitiveness of the partner companies. These research projects and researchers started in 2014. We are planning for second intake and start of new research projects in 2017. Read more on www.miun.se/foric.
Research project PhD Student Company Wood preservative treatment and modification techniques; identification, evaluation and assessment of barriers and key success factors for large-scale commercialization
Jonas Johansson SCA Timber AB
New use of bio-sludge from pulp and paper industries
Robert Norgren Ragn-Sells AB
Methane measurement system and analysis
Bakhram Gaynullin SenseAir AB
Technical and economical systems modelling of a mechanical pulp based bio refinery
Alexander Hedlund FrontWay AB
Improved fines material control Mathias Lundberg PulpEye AB Modified fibre process for improved final product properties
Hafizur Rahman SCA Forest Products AB
Integrated energy solutions Anna-Karin Stengard
Sundsvall Energi AB
Industrially feasible methods for production of nanocellulose for chemical pulps
Carl Moser Valmet AB
Cost-effective nano-ligno-cellulose as substitute for CMC in multi-layer fibre applications
Sinke Henshaw Osong
MoRe Research and FSCN
Connecting high yield pulp properties with functional product properties
Olof Ferritsius StoraEnso AB and FSCN
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Research project PhD Student Company Development of a domestic forest based tanning agent
Mats Paulsson Sylvestris AB
Fibrillar chemical pulp fines to enhance paper board strength
Elisabeth Björk Innventia AB
Value creating and efficiency in wood supply chains
Magnus Larsson Skogforsk and Stiftelsen skogsbrukets forskningsfond
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10. Conferences
9th International Fundamental Mechanical Pulp Research Seminar
PFI, in cooperation with NTNU, has successfully organized the 9th Fundamental Mechanical Pulp Research Seminar (FMPRS) on May 19‐20 2015, in Trondheim. Olof Björkqvist, Per Engstrand, Olof Ferritsius, Sinke Henshaw Osong, Wennan Zhang, Hans Höglund, Sven Forsberg, Britta Andres, Christina Dahlström, Ann‐Christine Engström, Sven Norgren and Håkan Olin were part of the program.
Science Innovation Day 2015 Every year in the middle of October we arrange the conference Science & Innovation Day in Sundsvall. The conference is a cooperation between the research centre STC and FSCN at Mid Sweden University and the innovation clusters Fiber Optic Valley and BioBusiness Arena. 2015 gathered approx 170 persons from academia and companies in the region to discuss innovation, research and future questions. The keynote‐speakers where Madelene Sandström, CEO of Knowledge Foundation, Niklas von Weymarn, VP research at Metsä Fibre, Magnus Melander, ICT‐entrepreneur and Ari Riabacke, former PhD student at FSCN Mid Sweden University, nowadays a professional key‐note speaker and seminar manager. The researchers from STC and FSCN presented their research results in parallel sessions and there were also an exhibition area with posters to present our research. See all the seminars on our website: www.miun.se/fscn The next time for the common conference is October 18 2016. Welcome to join us!
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11. Awards
Medal of merit for Myat Htun The Vice Chancellor has decided that the Medal of Merit, established on the occasion of the Mid Sweden Universityʹs 10th anniversary, is to be assigned to senior Professor Myat Htun, who pushed the construction of our industrial forest research centre FSCN.
Postdoctoral studies at Harvard Medical School Dr. Samson Afewerki has been awarded with Olle Engkvist Byggmästare foundation and Bengt Lundqvist memory foundation with a scholarship amount for a postdoctoral study for a period of two years at Harvard Medical School (Brigham and Women´s Hospital) within the group of Professor Ali Khademhosseini. There he will be working on development of biomaterials and hydrogels and its application in the field of tissue engineering.
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12. Energy efficient mechanical pulping initiative (e2mp-i) The research programme e2mp‐I was completed by the end of 2015. The programme started in 2011. It had 12 subprojects and was funded by Swedish Energy Agency together with Mid Sweden University, Chalmers, Norska Forskningsrådet, SLU, PFI, Holmen, Valmet, Innventia, Norske Skog, Stora Enso, Luleå University of Technology, SCA and ÅF. Program manager was prof. Per Engstrand at Mid Sweden University.
Summary The program has funded research that will demonstrate techniques to reduce electrical energy consumption by 50% for production of TMP and CTMP, while retaining the same final product characteristics of printing paper and paperboard. The research program represents part of an industry initiative that during a ten‐year period, together with Swedish and Norwegian authorities invest at least 200 million to achieve this ambitious energy efficiency goal. It was also important to secure the research nodes at FSCN in Sundsvall and PFI in Trondheim. In parallel with the funding from the Swedish Energy Agency of SEK 30 million has the Norwegian Research Council funded the research initiative with NOK 25 million (2010‐14), the Knowledge Foundation with SEK 36 million (2011‐17) and Mid Sweden University with SEK 12 million. The industry’s total investment will exceed SEK 100 million already by the end of 2017. The necessary and very carefully conducted benchmarking study BAT2012, showed the starting position at the industry’s most modern TMP and CTMP lines. During the period 2011‐15 results have been produced in 12 parallel research projects. Table 1 summarizes results from demonstration scale project that were designed based on research projects in FSCN´s KK‐funded research profile on High Yield Pulping and also on the 2013 completed project “Filling the Gap” 31676‐, ISSN 1650‐5387 2014:57. The results show the following electrical energy reduction levels: 28% TMP for news, 14% TMP for SC and 21% CTMP for paperboard.
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Table 1. Summary of best available technology, energy efficiency goals and verified mill tries for News, SC and board pulps. The table includes results supported by the Swedish Energy Agency and the KK‐Foundation.
Specific electricity usage, kWh/bdmt Pulp quality Benchmar
k 2012 Goal - 2021
Demotest 2015
Remaining 2021
Printing paper (News) 1 800 900 1 300 400 Printing paper (SC) 2 800 1 400 2 400 1 000 Board (middle layer) 900 450 710 260
Besides demonstrated potential, a number of additional distinct potentials described in the research projects:
q Process intensification and process modification > 15% q Process stability through advanced process analysis and control >
15% q Combining the most efficient process sections from benchmarking
25% This makes it probable that full‐scale demonstration experiments to validate 50% electricity reduction within the three product areas provided that future research funding is available. Three of the ideas for spin‐off projects that emerged during the project have received a positive financing decision from the Swedish Energy Agency during 2015. Further proposals based on this reported research will be included in applications during 2016. In addition to energy reduction in TMP and CTMP processes, researchers at FSCN have performed research on how to produce very strong packaging materials from these types of pulp in an energy efficient manner. An application regarding validation in pilot scale will be sent in during the beginning of 2016.
Sub-projects in e2mp-i q 1 BAT 2012 ‐ Best Available Technique q 2 High quality low specific energy CTMP q 3 Energieffektivisering genom flödesexciterad, resonansförstärkt
och ultraljudskontrollerad kavitation q 4 Undersökning av mikrovågsteknologi för energieffektivisering
av mekaniska massaprocesser ‐ Pilotundersökning q 5 Fix the Mix, an embryo to energy‐efficiency
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q 6 Energieffektiv styrning av DD‐raffinör med avseende på fiberegenskaper
q 7 Intensified Refining and Optimal Control in Chip Refiners q 8 Uniform non‐uniform fibers ‐ an energy opportunity q 9 Effekt av raffinering vid låg och hög massakoncentration på
fiberutveckling och energireduktionspotential q 10 Energy reduction in HC refining by chemical addition in mill‐
scale CD refiner q 11 Demonstrationsprojekt vid SCA Ortviken – SAV‐E q 12 Demonstrationsprojekt vid Holmen Paper Braviken
Project leaders in e2mp-i Per Engstrand, FSCN Mid Sweden University (project manager) Olof Ferritsius, FSCN, Mid Sweden University Olof Björkqvist, FSCN, Mid Sweden University Rita Ferritsius, FSCN, Mid Sweden University Kathrin Mörseburg, PFI Lars Johansson, Innventia/PFI Örjan Johansson, Luleå University of Technology Geoffrey Daniel, SLU Anders Karlström, Chalmers Anette Karlsson, SCA Christer Sandberg, Holmen
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Short summary of results in Swedish
Project, project leaders and partner companies (Holmen, SCA and Stora Enso are partners in all projects)
Results (the data is quite specific in demoscale, and rather speculative in pilote and lab-projects)
Sub-project 1 BAT 2012 - Best Available Technique, O. Ferritsius & O. Björkqvist, FSCN Mid Sweden University, PFI, AF, Holmen, Norske Skog, SCA, Stora Enso
50%-mål => TMP-news 900, TMP-SC 1400, CTMP-kartong 450 kWh/t Potentiell reduktion 25 % ”Golden Mill”
Sub-project 2 High quality low specific energy CTMP, Skoghall – L. Johansson, PFI, O. Ferritsius, A. Karlström, J. Hill, PFI, FSCN, Stora Enso, Valmet
20 % elenergireduktion d v s 190 kWh/t vid bibehållen massakvalitet tom blåsledning, från 790 till 600 kWh/t
Sub-project 3 Energieffektivisering genom flödesexciterad, resonansförstärkt och ultraljudskontrollerad kavitation –, Ö. Johansson, LTU
Ultraljudskontrollerad kavitation ger fibrillering motsvarande 850 kWh/t. För tidigt att uttala sig om energipotential
Sub-project 4 Undersökning av mikrovågsteknologi för energieffektivisering av mekaniska massaprocesser, G. Daniel, N. Terziev, SLU
Energipotential om 150-200 kWh/t bedöms möjlig
Sub-project 5 Fix the mix, an embryo to energy-efficiency, O. Ferritsius, J-E. Berg, B. Engberg, FSCN Mid Sweden University
Energireduktion jämfört med fullskale-raffinör med upp till 93 % till visst dragindex
Sub-project 6 Energieffektiv styrning av DD-raffinör m.a.p. fiberegenskaper, R. Ferritsius Stora Enso, K. Eriksson CIT
Energireduktion vid fiberraffinering 39 % trots ökade kvalitetskrav, motsvarar en reduktion på 400 av totalt ca 2800 kWh/t
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Project, project leaders and partner companies (Holmen, SCA and Stora Enso are partners in all projects)
Results (the data is quite specific in demoscale, and rather speculative in pilote and lab-projects)
Sub-project 7 Intensified Refining and Optimal Control in Chip Refiners, A. Karlström Chalmers, J. Hill QualTech, Stora Enso Kvarnsveden, Hylte och Skoghall
Modellering och processtyrning gav en 15 % elenergireduktion. Validerat genom långtidsuppföljning i fullskala TMP-anläggning.
Sub-project 8 Uniform non-uniform fibers - an energy opportunity, O. Ferritsius, FSCN Mid Sweden University
Stora brister i standarder och vedertagna sätt att karaktärisera massor - leder till felaktiga slutsatser - möjliggör minskat ”energislöseri”
Sub-project 9 Effekt av raffinering vid låg och hög massakoncentration på fiberutveckling och energireduktionspotential, R. Ferritsius, FSCN Mid Sweden University
LC-raffinering, 80-200 kWh/t, minskar energi till visst dragindex, ger lägre ”fiber curl” och något lägre ljusspridning.
Sub-project 10 Energy reduction in HC refining by chemical addition in mill-scale CD-refiner, L. Johansson, PFI, Norske Skog Skogn
Ca 300 kWh/t energireduktion vid en CD-raffinör till dragindex 37 Nm/g vid 8 kg/t DBA-dosering
Sub-project 11 Demonstrationsprojekt vid SCA Ortviken - SavE, A. Karlsson SCA Ortviken, B. Engberg FSCN Mid Sweden University
Energireduktion ca 12 %, 180 kWh/t till samma dragindex
Sub-project 12 Demonstrationsprojekt vid Holmen Paper Braviken, C. Sandberg Holmen Braviken
Energireduktion 25 % ca 500 kWh/t jämfört med dagens bästa teknik inkl. övriga drifter och 400 kWh/t lägre raffineringsenergi d.v.s. 2000 kWh/t (mål < 1500 kWh/t totalt)
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13. Accomplished PhD Degrees
Doctoral Thesis Measuring and modelling light scattering in paper
Johansson, Niklas This thesis is about measuring and modelling light reflected from paper by using goniophotometric measurements. Measuring bidirectional reflectance requires highly accurate instruments, and a large part of the work in this thesis is about establishing the requirements that must be fulfilled to ensure valid data. A spectral goniophotometer is used for measuring the light reflected from paper and methods are developed for analyzing the different components, i.e. the fluorescence, surface reflectance and bulk reflectance, separately. A separation of the surface and bulk reflectance is obtained by inkjet printing and analyzing the total reflectance in the absorption band of the ink. The main principle of the method is to add dye to the paper until the bulk scattered light is completely absorbed. The remaining reflectance is solely surface reflectance, which is subtracted from the total reflectance of the undyed sample to give the bulk reflectance. The results show that although the surface reflectance of a matte paper is small in comparison with the bulk reflectance, it grows rapidly with increasing viewing angle, and can have a large influence on the overall reflectance. A method for quantitative fluorescence measurements is developed, and used for analyzing the angular distribution of the fluoresced light. The long‐standing issue whether fluorescence from turbid (or amorphous) media is Lambertian or not, is resolved by using both angle‐resolved luminescence measurements and radiative transfer based Monte Carlo simulations. It is concluded that the degree of anisotropy of the fluoresced light is related to the average depth of emission, which in turn depends on
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factors such as concentration of fluorophores, angle of incident light and the absorption coefficient at the excitation wavelength. All measurements are conducted with a commercially available benchtop sized double‐beam spectral goniophotometer designed for laboratory use. To obtain reliable results, its absolute measurement capability is evaluated in terms of measurement accuracy. The results show that the compact size of the instrument, combined with the anisotropic nature of reflectance from paper, can introduce significant systematic errors of the same order as the overall measurement uncertainty. The errors are related to the relatively large detection solid angle that is required when measuring diffusely reflecting materials. Situations where the errors are most severe, oblique viewing angles and samples with high degree of anisotropic scattering, are identified, and a geometrical correction is developed. Estimating optical properties of a material from bidirectional measurements has proved to be a challenging problem and the outcome is highly dependent on both the quality and quantity of the measurements. This problem is analyzed in detail for optically thick turbid media, and the study targets the case when a restricted set of detection angles are available. This is the case when e.g. an unobstructed view of the sample is not possible. Simulations show that the measurements can be restricted to the plane of incidence (in‐plane), and even the forward direction only, without any significant reduction in the precision or stability of the estimation, as long as sufficiently oblique angles are included. (ISSN 1652‐893X, ISBN 978‐91‐88025‐27‐2 (2015))
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Doctoral Thesis On the Investigation of chemical parameters reflecting microbial activity linked to nutrient availability in forest soil Olofsson, Madelen As agrarian society developed, the most fertile soils able to sustain the nutritional requirements needed for high crop yield were assigned to farming, while the more penurious soils were left to uphold the forest ecosystems. Some temperate forests are developed on acidic soils considered to be nutrient poor, as much of the inorganic nutrients are entrapped in poorly weatherable soil minerals and not easily accessed by plant roots. In an undisturbed ecosystem, the largest contribution of available nutrients comes from the recycling of organically bound nutrients via the decomposition of dead plant material. If biomass is removed, for instance with a more intensified exploitation of the forest ecosystems including whole tree harvesting, this source of nutrients is consequently decreased. The importance of soil mineral weathering as a source of nutrients, and especially that promoted by soil biota, is thereby emphasized. This thesis addresses biotic parameters associated with mineral weathering. Different aspects of soil solution sampling strategies and analysis of different organic ligands as well as biomarkers for the estimation of fungal biomass were investigated. These chemical parameters were also evaluated as indicators of microbial activity in relation to mineral nutrient availability in soil. With the assumption that the current nutrient status of a soil will affect the microbial interest of certain minerals as sources of inorganic nutrients, a mineral amendment trial was performed in a Swedish boreal forest soil. Overall, the amended soil presented good nutrient status, but with a possible shortage of iron. Due to this, it was hypothesized that the amended mineral with the highest iron content i.e. biotite would cause an elevation of microbial activity in its vicinity when compared to the bulk soil.
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The level of microbial activity in the vicinity of the amended minerals was evaluated via quantification of organic acids and siderophores, as well as estimation of fungal biomass and enzymatic activity. The highest microbial activity was measured for the O horizon of the investigated podzol, although nothing indicated an elevated association with the amended minerals. In the E horizon, however, elevation in microbial activity was observed in the vicinity of the biotite mineral when compared with bulk soil, although only a few of the investigated parameters differed significantly when evaluated separately. To enable this study, a highly sensitive analytical method employing liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry was developed to quantify a number of hydroxamate siderophores. On‐line pre‐concentration enabled detection of these organic ligands in the pico‐molar range – a necessity when analyzing natural samples. Furthermore, an analytical method was developed for the estimation of fungal biomass via quantification of chitin‐derived glucosamine, which also employed liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Unlike currently available methods, the one presented in this thesis did not involve analyte derivatization, which resulted in high sample throughput while simultaneously avoiding complications involved with the additional derivatization procedure. The distribution of a group of organic ligands known as aromatic low molecular mass organic acids was also studied in a boreal forest podzol soil. Different sampling and samples preparation techniques, namely tension‐lysimeters, soil centrifugation and liquid‐soil extraction, were compared when analyzing soil solution components. Significant differences in analyte amount and species type were found between these sampling techniques. Some of the differences could be accounted for by variation in soil composition at different depths of the investigated podzol, but others could be attributed to structural differences within the studied analyte group. This clearly illustrated the intricacy of sampling and analysis when working with a sample matrix as complex and diverse as soil. As previously, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry was used to quantify the analytes of interest. A highly sensitive analytical method was developed that was able to detect eleven aromatic low molecular mass organic acids in the nano‐molar range. High selectivity was ensured by applying multiple reaction monitoring enabled by collision induced fragmentation of the analytes. (ISSN 1652‐893X, ISBN 978‐91‐88025‐40‐1 (2015))
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Doctoral Thesis On dynamic crack growth in discontinous materials
Persson, Johan In this thesis work numerical procedures are developed for modeling dynamic fracture of discontinuous materials, primarily materials composed of a load‐bearing network. The models are based on the Newtonian equations of motion, and does not require either stiffness matrices or remeshing as cracks form and grow. They are applied to a variety of cases and some general conclusions are drawn. The work also includes an experimental study of dynamic crack growth in solid foam. The aims are to deepen the understanding of dynamic fracture by answering some relevant questions, e.g. what are the major sources of dissipation of potential energy in dynamic fracture? What are the major differences between the dynamic fracture in discontinuous network materials as compared to continuous materials? Is there any situation when it would be possible to utilize a homogenization scheme to model network materials as continuous? The numerical models are compared with experimental results to validate their ability to capture the relevant behavior, with good results. The only two plausible dissipation mechanisms are energy spent creating new surfaces, and stress waves, where the first dominates the behavior of slow cracks and the later dominates fast cracks. In the numerical experiments highly connected random fiber networks, i.e. structures with short distance between connections, behaves phenomenologically like a continuous material whilst with fewer connections the behavior deviates from it. This leads to the conclusion that random fiber networks with a high connectivity may be treated as a continuum, with appropriately scaled material parameters. Another type of network structures is the ordered networks, such as honeycombs and semi‐ordered such as foams which can be viewed as e.g. perturbed honeycomb grids. The numerical results indicate that the fracture behavior is different for regular honeycombs versus perturbed honeycombs, and the behavior of the perturbed honeycomb corresponds
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well with experimental results of PVC foam. (ISSN 1652‐893X, ISBN 978‐91‐88025‐26‐5 (2015).
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Doctoral Thesis
Distribution of fiber characteristics as a tool to evaluate mechanical pulps
Reyier-Österling, Sofia Mechanical pulps are used in paper products such as magazine or news grade printing papers or paperboard. Mechanical pulping gives a high yield; nearly everything in the tree except the bark is used in the paper. This means that mechanical pulping consumes much less wood than chemical pulping, especially to produce a unit area of printing surface. A drawback of mechanical pulp production is the high amounts of electrical energy needed to separate and refine the fibres to a given fibre quality. Mechanical pulps are often produced from slow growing spruce trees of forests in the northern hemisphere resulting in long, slender fibres that are well suited for mechanical pulp products. These fibres have large varieties in geometry, mainly wall thickness and width, depending on seasonal variations and growth conditions. Earlywood fibres typically have thin walls and latewood fibres thick. The background to this study was that a more detailed fibre characterization involving evaluations of distributions of fibre characteristics, may give improved possibilities to optimize the mechanical pulping process and thereby reduce the total electric energy needed to reach a given quality of the pulp and final product. This would result in improved competitiveness as well as less environmental impact. This study evaluated the relation between fibre characteristics in three types of mechanical pulps made from Norway spruce (Picea abies), thermomechanical pulp (TMP), stone groundwood pulp (SGW) and chemithermomechanical pulp (CTMP). In addition, the influence of fibres from these pulp types on sheet characteristics, mainly tensile index, was studied. A comparatively rapid method was presented on how to evaluate the propensity of each fibre to form sheets of high tensile index, by the use of raw data from a commercially available fibre analyzer (FiberLabTM). The developed method gives novel opportunities of evaluating the effect
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on the fibres of each stage in the mechanical pulping process and has a potential to be applied also on‐line to steer the refining and pulping process by the characteristics of the final pulp and the quality of the final paper. The long fibre fraction is important for the properties of the whole pulp. It was found that fibre wall thickness and external fibrillation were the fibercharacteristics that contributed the most to tensile index of the long fibre fractions in five mechanical pulps (three TMPs, one SGW, one CTMP). The tensile index of handsheets of the long fibre fractions could be predicted by linear regressions using a combination of fibre wall thickness and degree of external fibrillation. The predicted tensile index was denoted BIN, short for Bonding ability INfluence. This resulted in the same linear correlation between BIN and tensile index for 52 samples of the five mechanical pulps studied, each fractionated into five streams (plus feed) in full size hydrocyclones. The Bauer McNett P16/R30 (passed 16 meshwire, retained on a 30 mesh wire) and P30/R50 fractions of each stream were used for the evaluation. The fibres of the SGW had thicker walls and a higher degree of external fibrillation than the TMPs and CTMP, which resulted in a correlation between BIN and tensile index on a different level for the P30/R50 fraction of SGW than the other pulp samples. A BIN model based on averages weighted by each fibre´s wall volume instead of arithmetic averages, took the fibre wall thickness of the SGW into account, and gave one uniform correlation between BIN and tensile index for all pulp samples (12 samples for constructing the model, 46 for validating it). If the BIN model is used for predicting averages of the tensile index of a sheet, a model based on wall volume weighted data is recommended. To be able to produce BIN distributions where the influence of the length or wall volume of each fibre is taken into account, the BIN model is currently based on arithmetic averages of fibre wall thickness and fibrillation. Fibre width used as a single factor reduced the accuracy of the BIN model. Wall volume weighted averages of fibre width also resulted in a completely changed ranking of the five hydrocyclone streams compared to arithmetic, for two of thefive pulps. This was not seen when fibre width was combined with fibre wallthickness into the factor “collapse resistance index”. In order to avoid too high influence of fibre wall thickness and until the influence of fibre width on BIN and the measurement of fibre width is further evaluated, it is recommended to use length weighted or arithmetic distributions of BIN and other fibre characteristics. A comparably fast method to evaluate the distribution of fibre wall thickness and degree of external fibrillation with high resolution showed that the fibre
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wallthickness of the latewood fibres was reduced by increasing the refining energy in adouble disc refiner operated at four levels of specific energy input in a commercial TMP production line. This was expected but could not be seen by the use of average values, it was concluded that fibre characteristics in many cases should be evaluated as distributions and not only as averages. BIN distributions of various types of mechanical pulps from Norway spruce showed results that were expected based on knowledge of the particular pulps and processes. Measurements of mixtures of a news‐ and a SC (super calendered) gradeTMP, showed a gradual increase in high‐BIN fibres with higher amounts of SCgrade TMP. The BIN distributions also revealed differences between the pulps that were not seen from average fibre values, for example that the shape of the BINdistributions was similar for two pulps that originated from conical disc refiners, a news grade TMP and the board grade CTMP, although the distributions were on different BIN levels. The SC grade TMP and the SC grade SGW had similar levels of tensile index, but the SGW contained some fibres of very low BIN values which may influence the characteristics of the final paper, for example strength, surface and structure. This shows that the BIN model has the potential of being applied on either the whole or parts of a papermaking process based on mechanical or chemimechanical pulping; the evaluation of distributions of fibre characteristics can contribute to increased knowledge about the process and opportunities to optimize it. (ISBN 978‐91‐86694‐66‐1 (2015))
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Doctoral Thesis Winter browsing by moose and hares in subarctic birch forest: scale, dependency and responses to food addition Öhmark, Sara Despite their difference in body size and morphology, the moose (Alces alces) and the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) sustain themselves during winter on similar plant species and plant parts in in subarctic environments, namely apical twigs of mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii). Herbivores must select areas and items of food that provide sufficient intake rates and food nutritional quality while balancing this against their intake of dietary fibre and potentially detrimental plant secondary metabolites. This selection takes place simultaneously at multiple spatial scales, from individual plants and plant parts to patches of food and parts of the wider landscape. While the herbivores must consider their need for food to sustain daily activities, for body growth and reproduction it is also necessary to avoid predators and harsh environmental conditions. For managers, an understanding of key factors for animal foraging distributions is pivotal to reach intended goals of management and conservation plans. Knowledge in this area is also important for models to make accurate predictions of foraging responses of herbivores to resource distributions. The mountain birch forest displays a naturally heterogeneous distribution of trees and shrubs which presents herbivores with a challenge to find good feeding areas. In an investigation of the spatial distribution of moose browsing on birch and willows (Salix spp.) in two winter seasons separated in time by 14 years, it was found that moose browsing patterns in 1996 were correlated to those observed in 2010. It was also found that moose browsing was spatially clustered within the same distances (1000‐2500 m) as densities of willow and birch, but at other spatial scales, browsing was mostly randomly distributed.
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It was concluded that for age density is a cue for moose but only at certain spatial scales. Similarly, a comparison of foraging distribution by hare and moose showed that high birch density was a key factor for both species. In spite of this, hares and moose used different parts of the same environment because they respond to food resource distribution at different spatial scales. Hares fed from smaller plants, and focused their foraging activity on smaller spatial scales than moose. These results emphasize the importance of taking into account the distribution of food resources at spatial scales relevant for each species in plans for conservation and management. In an experimental study it was found that intensified browsing on natural forage by mountain hares can be induced locally through placement of food. The induced browsing varied with the amount and quality of the added food, but also with the density of natural food plants and natural foraging distribution by hares. Finally, in a last experiment habitat preference of mountain hares across edges between open and forested areas was studied. The results were not consistent; hares utilized bait to a greater extent within forested areas than bait placed on a nearby lake ice, but bait on mires and heaths was either preferred over bait in nearby forest, or utilized to a similar extent. A possible explanation is that hares have knowledge of their environment such that both forested areas and subarctic mires and heaths are part of its natural home range, whilst the extreme environment on the lake ice is not. During recent decades arctic areas have had an increase in vegetation density and will be affected by future climate warming and therefore, factors that determine for aging ecology of key herbivores need to be identified. This thesis sheds some light on these factors in relation to spatial scale and forage distribution for two high profile herbivores in the subarctic. (ISSN:1652‐893X;229, ISBN: 978‐91‐88025‐38‐8 (2015))
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14. A selection of researchers Magnus Paulsson, Adjunct Professor in Mechanical Fibre Technology (sponsored by AkzoNobel)
The main activities in 2015 have been as an assistant supervisor to the PhD student Erik Nelsson (FSCN) and a lecturer at Unit Processes in Pulping (FPIRC course, FSCN) and Cellulose Technology (M.Sc. course, advanced level, CTH). The research work has resulted in two submitted manuscripts and one published article (listed below).
Publications x Enberg S., Opdal Ø., Axelsson P., Eriksen Ø., Rundlöf M., and
Paulsson M. (2015): Mapping and modelling of optical properties from pulp to super calendered paper. Appita 68(2), 128‐138.
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Dr. Jan-Erik Berg, Research Engineer Research results 2015 The paper “Low‐consistency refining of mechanical pulp in the light of forces on fibres” was published in Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal. The aim of that study was to find new approaches to evaluate the performance of low‐consistency refiners. If a larger share of the fibre development can be made in LC refiners instead of in HC refiners, the total power consumption to certain strength properties of mechanical pulps can be reduced since LC refiners are more energy efficient. Data from Holmen Paper, Braviken Paper Mill in Norrköping, Sweden producing TMP from Norway spruce was used in order to find a possible way to calculate the power split between the zones in a two‐zoned TwinFlo72 LC refiner from Andritz, Fig. 1. An assumption of equal amount of fibres captured between overlapping bars was found successful in order to develop equations for the power split. The equations predicted equal power in both zones at equal disc gaps. The power was found to increase approximately linearly with decreasing disc gap over the range, 0.1‐0.2 mm. The power split was essential to know for calculating refining intensities expressed as specific edge load and forces on fibres in the two zones. The reduction in fibre length was about 5% at 0.17 mm disc gap or at 0.03 N forces on fibres (Fig. 2) or at 0.7 J/m specific edge load. Disc gap, forces on fibres and specific edge load was found to predict fibre shortening approximately equally upon changes in power and flow rate through the refiner.
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Figure 1. Schematic drawing of the DD‐LC line. Sampling points are marked with crosses. AE denotes Adjustment End and ME denotes Motor End.
Figure 2. Relative fibre length (lX/l) versus Forces on fibres for Adjustment End (AE) and Motor End (ME) at different flow rates through the refiner. Values corresponding to 0.95 relative fibre length are indicated.
Publications
x Berg, J.‐E., Sandberg, C., Engberg, B. E., and Engstrand, P. Low‐consistency refining of mechanical pulp in the light of forces on fibres. Nordic Pulp Paper Res. J. 30(2), 225‐229.
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Dr. Christina Dahlström Morphology studies on future biocomposite Research results 2015 My research interest is both in the area of “New cellulosic materials” and “KM2”. The focus in my work is to understand how cellulose and graphite is building up the structure in the electrodes used for supercapacitors, and how this structure relates to electronic properties, e.g. capacitance and resistance. One interesting result that we found and presented on the Materials Research Society conference in Boston was that by using a quality of cellulose that was coarser than conventional high quality cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), we obtained higher capacitance. This is most likely due to the dense cellulose structure created by the fine CNF, causing increased resistance for ion mobility, and a spacing between the graphite particles resulting in reduced conductivity and increased energy losses in the material. The 2014 Alf de Ruvo scholarship gave me the opportunity to work as a visiting scholar at Stanford University, USA (6 months 2014‐2015), in Prof. Alberto Salleos group. Dr. Gregorio Faria had developed a method for ion mobility measurements that we successfully could use on my electrode material. This work will be continued in 2016. During 2015 I became Chair of the TAPPI Coating Fundamental Committee. One of the main tasks is to arrange the TAPPI Advanced Coating Symposium in Stockholm 2016.
Publications
x Dahlstrom, C., Andres, B., Faria, G. C., Engstrom, A‐.C., Duong, D. T., Salleo, A., Structural Change of Cellulose Nanofibers in Supercapacitor Electrodes during Galvanostatic Cycling, MRS, Boston, USA, 2015
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x Faria, G. C., Duong, D. T., Dahlstrom, C., Rivnay, J., Malliaras, G., Owens, R., Salleo, A. Modeling Transient Drain Current Response in Biofunctionalized Organic Electrochemical Transistors, B‐MRS, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2015
x Henshaw Osong, S., Dahlström, C., Forsberg, S., Andres, B., Engstrand, P., Norgren, S., Olin, H., Engström, A.‐C., Development of CTMP‐based nanofibrillated cellulose/nanographite composites for paper applications, 9th International Fundamental Mechanical Pulp Research Seminar, Trondheim, Norway, 2015.
x Forsberg, S., Andres, B., Blomquist, N., Dahlström, C., Engström, A‐.C., Olin, H., Paper‐based supercapacitors, EMRS, Lille, France, 2015.
x Andres, B., Dahlström, C., Engström, A‐.C., Blomquist, N., Forsberg, S., Olin, H., Nanocellulose as binder for supercapacitor electrodes, EMRS, Lille, France, 2015.
x Alecrim, V., Zhang, R., Hummelgard, M., Andres, B., Dahlstrom, C., Duong, D. T., Norgren, M., Andersson, M., Olin, H. Exfoliated Layered Materials for Digital Fabrication, Digital Fabrication and Digital Printing NIP 31, Portland, USA, 2015
Figure 1. High resolution scanning electron microscopy images of the electrode surface. The electrode is made from two different types of graphite particles and 10% cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). The CNF is creating different structures with the two types of particles, a spider web structure (left image) versus a “film”‐like structure (right image).
1 500
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Christer Sandberg, Project leader Low consistency refining system design for high yield pulping processes Low consistency (LC) refining is used to improve energy efficiency and production capacity in mechanical pulping lines (TMP, GWD and CTMP). Full scale installations have though revealed some current limitations; the maximum specific refining energy that can be applied is quite low, which limits the energy saving potential and light scattering does not develop as much as in high consistency (HC) refining. The purpose of this project is to increase the specific energy in LC refining of TMP and increase the efficiency of the refining i.e. attain higher degree of fibre development at a certain SEC. The goal is to reduce refining energy with 300 kWh/adt compared to a BAT TMP line today. Most of the work in this project is made with LC refiners installed in mills. The work is focused on two areas; 1) Increasing the loadability, i.e. the maximum specific energy that can be applied to a certain fibre length decrease. 2) Improving energy efficiency of LC refining itself, i.e. at a certain specific energy, tensile index increase should be larger. This will be made by trying different approaches; chemical treatments that improve the refining efficiency and/or loadability. Mill trials have been made in Östrand (not published yet).
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Photo: The largest LC refiner in the world, Andritz TwinFlo 72 in Holmen Paper Braviken mill.
Another way to increase the applied energy is to do LC refining in two stages. Piping work has been made in TMP3 Hallsta. Preliminary trials have been made and more will be made 2016. An increased share of long fibres could improve the loadability. This will be tested by feeding screen reject or hydrocyclone reject back to one of the LC refiners in Braviken. Preliminary trials have been made and more will be made 2016. It is important to combine HC and LC refining in an optimal way. In order to achieve an acceptable light scattering it is probably necessary to combine LC refining with high intensity HC refining. Mill trials will be made in Braviken, Hallsta and Kvarnsveden comparing different configurations. Part of this work have been made within the HC‐LC project in the E2MP‐I program. More fundamental studies of LC refining are also made in the project, separately reported by Jan‐Erik Berg. Research results 2015 Low consistency refiners are designed for refining of chemical pulp, where a rather low specific energy is needed to get the desired strength increase. Mechanical pulp needs more energy for certain strength increase and thus there will be an unbalance between applied power and needed flow to keep
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the refiner stable. Recirculating refined pulp back to the refiner feed has been utilized to keep LC refiners more stable, but the degree is normally 10‐20 %. In this work we wanted to evaluate the effect of high recirculation on energy efficiency and pulp quality. The trials were made on refiners in the Holmen Paper mills Braviken and Hallstavik.
Figure: Block diagram of LC refiner with flow recirculation.
It was shown that recirculation • Does not have a large effect on development of pulp properties. There
was though a somewhat larger fibre length reduction at high recirculation
• Does not affect energy efficiency • Does not notably change the distribution in fibre wall
delamination/internal fibrillation • Helps to keep the refiner in more stable operation. • Can be used to attain a high specific energy in one stage low
consistency refining.
The results have been published in Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal: Vol 30 no (2) 2015.
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Per Engstrand, Professor Research results 2015 It was quite interesting to see that it is possible to combine nanofibrillated cellulose and lingo‐cellulose made from high yield and chemical pulp fines to improve paper strength and also together with nanographene to produce films with high level of electrical conductivity (Osong, S. H., Norgren, S. & Engstrand, P. Cellulose, 2016, 23, 93–123 and) One of the most important results during the year was that we in small pilot scale could validate and even improve upon earlier lab‐trials when combining different fiber surface chemistry versions with a dynamic warm pressing approach utilizing high yield pulps (HYP) to produce very strong paper sheets, see figure 1 and 2. It should be noted that HYP contains not only the mainly crystalline cellulose (40%) but also the amorphous linear hemicellulose (30%) and the amorphous crosslinked lignin (28%). I think there is reason to believe that we in the near future by further optimization can produce the strongest fiber based packaging materials based on HYP actually due to its content of lignin and hemicellulose.
Figure 1 and 2. The diagram to the left shows trial results when utilizing different combinations of fiber surface chemistry and warm‐pressing of high yield pulps; CTMP (CSF 220 ml) and HTCTMP (CSF 720 ml) as well as chemical pulp (Sulfat ‐ SR° 25). Strength values shown; tensile index to the left and compression index to the right. The filled icons shows results with chemicals CMC/starch, the unfilled icons shows results without CMC/starch.
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Another important result is that our goal to show how to reduce energy demand by 50% within a 10‐year period starting from 2011 has partly been reached by the end of 2015, see table 1. The table summarize the results from the e2mp‐i that was financed by the Swedish Energy Agency, Holmen, Norske Skog, SCA, Stora Enso, AF and Valmet until December 2015. Depending on product range the energy reduction confirmed in demonstration scale was between 15% and 25%, (ISBN: 978‐91‐88025‐56‐2 slutrapport Mekmassainitiativet för energieffektivitet e2mp–i, Per Engstrand red.) Table 1. Description of benchmark results for 2012 regarding TMP for news, TMP for SC and CTMP for middle layer in paperboard. Based on this the 50% reduction goal for the 10 year period as well as results reached in demonstration scale by the end of 2015.
Goals and results measured as refining energy, kWh/bdmt
Product area Benchmark 2012
Goal 2021
Demotest 2015
Remaining 2021
Printing paper (News) - TMP
1800 900 1300 400
Printing paper (SC) - TMP 2800 1400 2400 1000 Board (middle layer) - CTMP
900 450 710 260
The most successful demonstration scale project performed at Holmen Braviken mill showed that a very brave process intensification approach to develop a TMP‐system could not only improve the energy efficiency a lot but also reduce the amount of necessary equipment a lot. In the HYP profile we are now increasing the utilization of process intensification methodology as a tool to transfer fundament material and process technology to modified more efficient unit processes as in the example in figure 3.
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x
Figure 3. The upper picture shows the outline of the present TMP‐system producing pulp for PM2 at the mill, this system has a refining energy demand of 2155 kWh/t to appropriate pulp properties. The lower picture shows the outline of the demonstration test TMP‐system that is to a large extent based on new knowledge developed in e2mp, this system has a refining energy demand of 1395 kWh/t to appropriate pulp properties.
Research focus My approach is to find ways to help the Swedish Forest Industry to widen the perspectives with regard to what products that can be produced from forest fibers and also how to produce present and new product in a much more energy and material efficient way. This means that my main focus on energy efficient high yield pulping (research profile e2mp) and papermaking technologies (adopted to high yield pulp material properties). As there are many opportunities to improve these technologies by extracting side‐streams that could be better utilized for other purposes as different types of nanocellulose, green chemicals for several different purposes and even biofuels this is also a part of my research (within FORE). The research work along the chain from forest via pulp, paper and side‐stream unit operation has led ideas as both Forest as a resource that we called FORE and the present FORIC, forest as a resource industrial research college.
1395 kWh/t
2155 kWh/t
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Awards I was granted the Arne Asplund Mechanical Pulping Award 2014. The award promotes the development of new technology for the manufacture of high‐yield pulp and is awarded to a person or persons in recognition of outstanding achievement in research and development of mechanical pulping technology.
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Rita Ferritsius Cooperation for energy efficiency in mechanical pulping I am employed at Mid Sweden University and Stora Enso Kvarnsveden, 50 % each, to work in the program (e2mp) for reduction of 50 % energy in mechanical pulping. In the Initiative program (financed by the Energy Agency) I was responsible for two of the projects. The first was called “Energy efficient control of a DD refiner with respect to relevant fiber properties”. The project was organized in three sub‐projects. Karin Eriksson at CIT (Chalmers industrial technology) was responsible for process analysis and development of a control strategy for a DD fiber‐refiner. Mid Sweden University was responsible for the second subproject that involved the pulp quality characterization that should be used as control parameter for the refiner. Dinesh Fernando at Swedish Agricultural University and Ola Johansson at Inovocell (small company in USA making fiber analyzers and new innovative products) was responsible for the third subproject. This part includes automation of a very time consuming manual method to measure the fiber wall properties using a new fiber analyzer equipped with a color camera. The target refiner for this project was a double disc (DD‐68) refiner used as post refiner for magazine grade in Kvarnsveden paper mill. The work included a lot of practical work together with the mill people, Karin Eriksson and Jan Hill (QualTech). All this work resulted in a much more stable operation of the refiner which also improved the situation for the refiners in parallel with the target refiner. Step changes of the process variables were made and it was shown that the same tensile index could be obtained within a large interval of specific energy, figure 1.
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Figure 1: Trial 2 and 3 were step changes in production and trial 4 was step changes in plate gap.
The results obtained in this project strengthens the hypothesis that a strategy that strives to increase the production rate and reduce the plate gap is beneficial for the energy efficiency for this refiner stage. However, the variations in motor load that increase with the production rate will set limits for what can be accomplished. The work around this refiner resulted in a higher tensile index increase for a certain specific energy compared to before the project was started. The fiber‐analyzer equipped with a color camera that was built for the project was used for initial tests using nine pulp samples. First, analysis was carried out through the manual microscopy method and the sheet properties where evaluated in lab. The results showed good correlations between the manual and the automated methods and tensile index of whole pulps. Measurements on more pulp samples are needed to establish the results and their repeatability. Nevertheless, the method is promising. Mid Sweden University cooperated with SLU, PFI, Stora Enso, Holmen, SCA, Norske Skog and Inovocell in my other project called “Effect of fiber property development in HC and LC refining on energy reduction potential”. Three lines with combination of high consistency (HC) and low consistency (LC) refiners were sampled and the fiber properties very thoroughly characterized. Both external and internal fibrillation of the fibers were studied using microscopy techniques. These measurements showed differences between HC and LC refining in cell wall thickness,
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external fibrillation and fiber curl. The fiber development causing the increase in tensile strength in LC and HC refining seems to be quite different. All LC refining reduced fiber curl and for each pulp a linear correlation was found between reduced fiber curl and increased tensile index. This indicates that the reduction in fiber curl contributes to a part of the increase in tensile index in LC refining, especially at the relatively low energy inputs used in Scandinavian mills. Additionally a new alternative equipment (built by Inovocell) is being tested with the purpose of fibrillating with a minimal use of energy. In both these two project it has been very stimulating to work together with a number of different competences from different research providers and mills.
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Hans Höglund, senior professor As part‐time working as a senior professor, I have mainly focused on to support some of my former PhD students in two projects. In these projects new technologies, which can be implemented in the TMP and CTMP industry, are developed. We are now in a phase, where possibilities of implementation in mill applications are discussed with industrial partners:
x Development of radically new types of refiner segments, with potential to reduce electric energy consumption in chip refining (Project managed by Birgitta Engberg).
x Technology for improvements of dry and wet in‐plane strength and stiffness (SCT) in (C)TMP based papers intended to be used in products with very high demands upon strength, e.g. packaging paper, linerboard and paper bags (Project managed by Sven Norgren and Gunilla Pettersson).
To reduce energy consumption in refining in TMP processes, we have so far studied effects of non‐conventional refiner plate patterns in pilot plant scale, where fibres can be treated energy efficiently in a wider plate gap than in conventional type of refining. The new plate pattern will be tested in a mill scale refiner during this year. An objective in the project is to make it possible to refine high yield pulp fibres, which have been softened at a temperature well above the lignin softening temperature, under stable conditions. To get significant improvement of in‐plane strength of paper sheets from high yield pulps, we have looked at the effects that can be achieved in press‐drying at temperatures well above the softening temperature of lignin on moist paper sheets (40‐65 % d.c.). These studies are a natural progress of research at FSCN that earlier has been published in scientific publications and in international conferences (see literature below). The current work has been carried out in a smaller pilot plant scale at MoRe Research, which hopefully during this year will be followed by trials in a larger pilot plant scale.
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Publications x Nygren, O., Bäck, R. and Höglund, H.(2003): On characterization
of Mechanical and Chemi‐mechanical Pulps, Proceedings of the International Mechanical Pulping Conference, Quebec City, Canada, 97‐104
x Klinga, N., Sandberg, C. and Höglund, H. (2005): Sheet properties of high yield pulp related to different pressing and drying conditions, Proceedings of the International Mechanical Pulping Conference, Oslo, Norway, 344‐348
x Norgren, S. and Höglund, H. (2011): Consolidation of fibre‐fibre bonds in TMP and CTMP based papers, Proceedings of the International Mechanical Pulping Conference, Xi’an, China, 448‐453
x Norgren, S., Pettersson, G. and Höglund, H. (2014): High strength papers from high yield pulps, Proceedings of the International Mechanical Pulping Conference, Helsinki, Finland and in Paper Technology 56(5), 10‐14
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Jiayi Yang, PhD Student Cellulose dissolution in aqueous solvents and usage in making bio-composite Introduction The urges of using and developing new products from renewable and sustainable resources from consumers, industry and government is what motivates the current project. Shifting the society from petroleum based developing pattern to be more of bio‐based, carbon‐neutral is a crucial challenge all human beings are facing with. In the context, there is no other polymer, other than cellulose, that is entitled with such wide range of applications. As the most abundant biopolymer on earth, cellulose has covered nearly every aspects of our daily life. As promising as it is, still there are limitations of cellulose solubility in aqueous systems which hinder it from further development. The cellulose macromolecule has amphiphilic characteristic and strong intra‐, inter‐molecule bonds,1‐3 which makes the dissolution quite challenging but intriguing. Dissolving cellulose in aqueous solution opens up possibilities of using cellulose in broader areas. In the current project, efforts were putting onto dissolve cellulose and better understand cellulose dissolution in different aqueous media, and utilize cellulose solution to form composites in a greener manner. Research results 2015 In year 2015, cellulose dissolution trials were performed in different aqueous solvents, consequently trials of bio composite compounds based on cellulose dissolution were also conducted. The dissolution of cellulose was performed in 85% phosphoric acid, and in NaOH/Urea solution. After reaching the fully dissolution, the stock solutions of different cellulose concentrations were utilized in different ways.
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1. Utilizing cellulose dissolution to make micro cellulose particle via regenerating in acetone. As shown in Figure 1, cellulose solution was sprayed into acetone solvent and regenerate, by worsening the solvency of cellulose.
Figure 1. Cellulose spheres regenerated in acetone. 2. Cellulose dissolution in NaOH/Urea is combined with chitosan
dissolved in acetic acid to make cellulose‐chitosan composites. As shown in Figure 2, cellulose was dripped into chitosan solution, and with local abrupt pH change, both cellulose and chitosan were regenerated and form composite.
Figure 2. cellulose‐chitosan composite particles in wet state.
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References x Medronho, B.; Lindman, B., Brief overview on cellulose
dissolution/regeneration interactions and mechanisms. Advances in colloid and interface science 2015, 222 (0), 502‐508.
x Medronho, B.; Duarte, H.; Alves, L.; Antunes, F.; Romano, A.; Lindman, B., Probing cellulose amphiphilicity. Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal 2015, 30 (1), 58‐66.
x Lindman, B.; Karlström, G.; Stigsson, L., On the mechanism of dissolution of cellulose. Journal of Molecular Liquids 2010, 156 (1), 76‐81.
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Ran Duan, PhD Student Wood fiber to paper yarn Research results 2015 It is well known that wood fiber has three major compounds: lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. And each of the three main components of woody biomass are themselves valuable resources. The remaining question is how to selectively separate each compound while leave the rest intact in a cost efficient way and, at best, offer an environmentally friendly option. Switchable ionic liquid (SIL) which has the possibility to dissolve, fractionate and functionalize different wood compounds with an appropriate choice of cations and/or anions choice has been widely studied recently and also come to our mind. A joint study has been carried out during 2015 with Åbo Akademi University (Finland) about the fiber stress‐strain response of HT‐CTMP pulp treated with switchable ionic liquids. To analyses how single fibers affected by SIL delignification with zero span tensile stress test. The interaction between water and labsheets made from different SIL treated pulp was also briefly studied. To further utilize wood fiber, the process of producing paper yarn from paper stripe have also been evaluated. Continued from last year’s study about paper plasticization, chemicals were applied onto produced paper yarn to modify the appearance and mechanical properties.
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Illustration: Light microscope of one of the treated paper yarn under different magnifications.
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Alireza Eivazihollagh, PhD Student
Recovery of metal ions from aqueous solution In surface and colloid engineering research group, my main research centers around techniques, for instance, ion flotation and electrochemical methods to recover metal ions from aqueous solution. For this purpose, we aimed for fundamental and practical advances in respect of metal ions treatment in process water and industrial effluent. Our study showed that surface active chelating agent 4‐C12‐DTPA (2‐dodecyldiethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) can be effectively applied in ion floatation technique to remove metal ions from aqueous solution and concentrate them in foam fraction. In addition, electrochemical method has been used to treat separated metal‐chelating surfactant complex such as Cu(II)‐4‐C12‐DTPA by electrodepositing copper ions onto the cathode and regenerating chelating ligands which can be reused in flotation. Toward a better understanding of ion flotation efficiency of 4‐C12‐DTPA in mixtures with different foaming agents, a setup was installed in the Lab for testing and characterization of liquid foam in terms of foam ability and foam stability. In this respect, the different mixtures of chelating surfactant, foaming agents and metal ions solutions were studied to evaluate the role of foam properties in addition to their solution behavior on process efficiency. My most recent work includes synthesizing cellulose‐metallic nanoparticles hybrid materials. Incorporating metallic nanoparticles in cellulose as a great source of inexpensive raw material results in production of hybrid material with unique electronic, catalytic, magnetic and biomedical properties.
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Photo: The test apparatus used in the measurements of foam property.
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Magnus Norgren, Professor of Chemical Engineering
My research interest covers the area of surface and colloid chemistry; materials and phenomena. Specifically I focus on wood polymers and related conventional and novel processes to convert them to functional materials. I am also interested in special surfactants with additional features like metal chelation, and polyelectrolytes. I am the group leader of Surface and Colloid Engineering and hold a PhD in physical chemistry from Lund University, with Prof Björn Lindman as main supervisor. In late 2001 I defended my PhD‐thesis “On the physical chemistry of kraft lignin. Fundamentals and applications”. The project was initiated and initially funded by SCA, with Göran Annergren and Dr Lars Wågberg as industrial advisors from the start. I was involved in Future Resource‐Adapted Pulp Mill project led by STFI‐Packforsk (Innventia) and the development of the LIGNOBOOST process, later commercialized by Metso Power/Valmet. I am co‐inventor of one of the patents that is the cornerstone for good precipitation yield and filterability of the kraft lignin. In 2004 I was awarded the Alf de Ruvo stipend for my achievements in the area of the physical chemistry of lignin. During 2004‐2005 I did my post doc at Australian National University, Department of Applied Mathematics in Canberra with Prof Vince Craig. During 2007‐2009 I was working 50% as researcher at Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Fiber and Polymer Technology with Prof Lars Wågberg. During 2009‐2010 I was working part time for Mid Sweden University’s innovation office, MIUN Innovation. In 2010 I was appointed as full professor of chemical engineering at Mid Sweden University.
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During 2012 I was on leave of absence one year working as the CEO of the spin‐off company ChemseQ International AB, where I am one of the co‐founders.
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Björn Lindman, Guest Professor of Surface and Colloid Chemistry Publications 2015
x Medronho, B., Duarte, H., Alves, L., Antunes, F., Romano, A. & Lindman, B. (2015). Probing cellulose amphiphilicity. Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal, vol. 30: 1, ss. 58-66.
x Lindman, B., Medronho, B. & Theliander, H. (2015). Editorial: Cellulose dissolution and regeneration: systems and interactions. Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal, vol. 30: 1, ss. 2-3.
x Cuomo, F., Lopez, F., Piludu, M., Miguel, M. G., Lindman, B. & Ceglie, A. (2015). Release of small hydrophilic molecules from polyelectrolyte capsules: Effect of the wall thickness. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, vol. 447, ss. 211-216.
x Alves, L., Medronho, B., Antunes, F. E., Fernández-García, M. P., Ventura, J., Araújo, J. P., Romano, A. & Lindman, B. (2015). Unusual extraction and characterization of nanocrystalline cellulose from cellulose derivatives. Journal of Molecular Liquids, vol. 210, ss. 106-112.
x Lindman, B. & Medronho, B. (2015). The Subtleties of Dissolution and Regeneration of Cellulose : Breaking and Making Hydrogen Bonds. BioResources, vol. 10: 3, ss. 3811-3814.
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Dr. Samson Afewerki Research area of interest
x Development and application of heterogeneous catalysts
x Valorization of biomasses such as lignin
x Modification of cellulose, nanocellulose and different types of lignocellulosic fibers
Research results 2015 2015 has culminated in 2 publications in the area of catalysis by combination of aminocatalysis and homogeneous/heterogeneous transition metal catalysis and its application in chemical transformations. Furthermore, within our research area of interesting in valorization of lignin we have disclosed 3 European PCT applications (one approved). Moreover, a Swedish patent PCT application has been accomplished for the Eco‐friendly preparation and fabrication of nanocellulose. Samson Afewerki has been awarded with Olle Engkvist Byggmästare foundation and Bengt Lundqvist memory foundation with a scholarship amount for a postdoctoral study for a period of two years at Harvard Medical School (Brigham and Women´s Hospital) within the group of Professor Ali Khademhosseini. There he will be working on development of biomaterials and hydrogels and its application in the field of tissue engineering. Publications
x Afewerki, S.; Ma, G.; Ibrahem, I.; Lui, L.; Sun, J.; Córdova, A. ACS Catal. 2015, 5, 1266. Highly Enantioselective Control of Dynamic Cascade Transformations by Dual Catalysis: Asymmetric Synthesis of Poly‐Substituted Spirocyclic Oxindoles.
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x Xu, C.; Deiana, L.; Afewerki, S.; Incerti‐Pradillos, C.; Córdova, O.; Guo, P.; Córdova, A. Hedin, N. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2015, 357, 2150‐2156. The Use of Porous Pd2+‐polyimine in Cooperatively‐catalyzed Highly Enantioselective Cascade Transformations.
Patents 1. European Patent. PCT/EP2015/056776, 2015 March 27. ”Efficient Synthesis of Amines and Amides from Alcohols and Aldehydes by using Cascade Catalysis” Inventors: Armando Córdova, Stockholm, Sweden, Per Berglund, Stockholm Sweden, Mattias Anderson, Stockholm Sweden, Samson Afewerki, Sundsvall, Sweden. 2. European Patent. PCT/EP2015/075333, 2015 October 30. ”A Mild Catalytic Reduction of C‐O Bonds Using a Recyclable Catalyst System” Inventors: Armando Córdova, Stockholm, Sweden, Carlos Palo‐Nieto, Sundsvall, Sweden, Samson Afewerki, Sundsvall, Sweden. 3. European Patent. PCT/EP2015/079869, 2016 January 13. ”Direct mild synthesis of amines from aldehydes by heterogeneous metal‐catalysis and one‐pot three‐component synthesis of amides from aldehydes” Inventors: Armando Córdova, Stockholm, Sweden, Carlos Palo‐Nieto, Sundsvall, Sweden, Samson Afewerki, Sundsvall, Sweden. 4. Swedish Patent. PCT/ 1551537‐2, 2015, 2015 November 26 “Environmentally friendly process for the preparation of nanocellulose and derivatives thereof”. Inventors: Armando Córdova, Stockholm, Sweden, Samson Afewerki, Sundsvall, Sweden.
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Armando Córdova, Professor Research area of interest
x Development and application of hetero‐geneous catalysts (metal and organic) and metal‐free catalysis
x New multi‐catalytic method strategies for converting biomass to valuable products and materials
x Valorization of biomasses such as lignin
x Eco‐friendly surface modification of lingo‐cellulose (e.g. cellulose, various pulps, nanocelluloses and different types of lignocellulosic fibers)
Research results 2015 Our research has during 2015 culminated in several publications in the area of catalysis. We have also worked significantly on eco‐friendly surface modifications of lignocellulosic materials. In particular, on the topic of “organoclick” (combination of organic catalysis and click chemistry) modification of polysaccharides several new methods have been elaborated and investigated. Here a Swedish patent PCT application has been filed for the Eco‐friendly preparation and fabrication of nanocellulose. Within our research area of developing eco‐friendly methods for the valorization of biomass, we have found new ways of converting lignin to various products. This has led to 3 European PCT applications (one approved). This part of the research is being commercialized in collaboration with MIUN innovation. Several new important networks have been connected during the year between us and different academic and industrial collaborators leading to exciting research project for 2016. The above research has been awarded a grant from the Swedish Research Council (VR) as well as a grant from the KK‐foundation on the topic of eco‐friendly surface modification of NCC. Prof. Cordova’s long research efforts on sustainable catalytic lignocellulose modification have gone from academic research into full‐scale industrial application and production
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based on his innovations. Here he co‐founded the company Organoclick AB (24 employees) and took part in their 2015 IPO (initial public offering) on Nasdaq stock exchange that was announced on Times Square in New York.
Selected Publications 1. Córdova, A. Pure Appl. Chem. 2015, 87, 1011. Combined heterogeneous metal/organic catalysts for eco‐friendly synthesis. 2. Kohls, H.; Anderson, M.; Dickerhoff, J.; Weisz, K.; Córdova, A.; Berglund, P.; Brundiek, H.; Bornscheuer, U. T.; Höhne, M. Adv. Synth. Cat. 2015, 357, 1808. Selective access to all four diastereomers of an 1,3‐amino alcohol by combination of a keto reductase‐ and an amine transaminase‐catalysed reaction. 3. Afewerki, S.; Ma, G.; Ibrahem, I.; Lui, L.; Sun, J.; Córdova, A. ACS Catal. 2015, 5, 1266. Highly Enantioselective Control of Dynamic Cascade Transformations by Dual Catalysis: Asymmetric Synthesis of Poly‐Substituted Spirocyclic Oxindoles. 4. Xu, C.; Deiana, L.; Afewerki, S.; Incerti‐Pradillos, C.; Córdova, O.; Guo, P.; Córdova, A. Hedin, N. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2015, 357, 2150‐2156. The Use of Porous Pd2+‐polyimine in Cooperatively‐catalyzed Highly Enantioselective Cascade Transformations. Patents 1. European Patent. PCT/EP2015/056776, 2015 March 27. ”Efficient Synthesis of Amines and Amides from Alcohols and Aldehydes by using Cascade Catalysis” Inventors: Armando Córdova, Stockholm, Sweden, Per Berglund, Stockholm Sweden, Mattias Anderson, Stockholm Sweden, Samson Afewerki, Sundsvall, Sweden. 2. European Patent. PCT/EP2015/075333, 2015 October 30. ”A Mild Catalytic Reduction of C‐O Bonds Using a Recyclable Catalyst System” Inventors: Armando Córdova, Stockholm, Sweden, Carlos Palo‐Nieto, Sundsvall, Sweden, Samson Afewerki, Sundsvall, Sweden. 3. European Patent. PCT/EP2015/079869, 2016 January 13. ”Direct mild synthesis of amines from aldehydes by heterogeneous metal‐catalysis and one‐pot three‐component synthesis of amides from aldehydes” Inventors: Armando Córdova, Stockholm, Sweden, Carlos Palo‐Nieto, Sundsvall, Sweden, Samson Afewerki, Sundsvall, Sweden.
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4. Swedish Patent. PCT/ 1551537‐2, 2015, 2015 November 26 “Environmentally friendly process for the preparation of nanocellulose and derivatives thereof”. Inventors: Armando Córdova, Stockholm, Sweden, Samson Afewerki, Sundsvall, Sweden.
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Robert Norgren, PhD Student Ragn-Sells New use of bio sludge from pulp and paper industry Bio sludge is a waste that is produced in large amounts at the pulp and paper industry waste water treatment. It is wet and has no obvious advantages, therefore few recycling methods are in praxis but focus is on disposal. Common disposal methods is incineration and composting. In Sweden and Norway about half of the sludge is incinerated, but in Finland almost all of it is incinerated. Landfilling of the sludge is common in Chile where half the sludge is landfilled and the other half is incinerated. Efficient use of material and energy is crucial for future more sustainable industry practices. This is true for primary products and commercial available energy but also for material that today is regarded as waste. The pulp and paper industry is subjected to a shift in consumer behavior initiated by modern information technology that results in lower demand for newspapers. In the future there are reasons to expect increased competition from new producers in countries where the productivity of the forests are higher and thereby the production costs is lower. These two aspects forces the pulp and paper industry in the Scandinavian countries to optimize the efficiency of their mills and to seek revenues from new types of products. Biomass waste in general could be recycled for its energy content or after conversion/extraction as a chemical product or a solid material. Different forces like legislation, market demand and scientific innovations exert a push or pull towards different paths of recycling. They may either cooperate or counteract each other and the sum of their impact may favor one of these paths. During 2015 an assessment of the content of the sludge based on a literature study has been performed. In figure 1 and table 1 the results are compiled. The results have been compared to environmental limit values relevant to
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different types of sludge use. The content of metals in the sludge exceed some of the current limit values and could in a greater extent exceed the future limit values if they will be lower than today. Therefore direct application of the sludge can only be a short term solution. Most treatment methods produce either a liquid or solid residue and the metals could be concentrated in any of these, so the metals in the residue must be assessed regardless of which technology is used. To maximize the usefulness of the sludge it is essential to assume that the problem with the metals can be solved.
Figure 1. Characterization of bio sludge.
Table 1. Content of bio sludge.
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A list of technologies for recycling of bio sludge has been put together based on what has occurred in the research journals during the last decade. These technologies have then been assessed for their degree of maturity. One of the demarcations for this study is to find technologies available in the near future. The combined output of these assessments show that the methods below have favorable properties:
x Production of single cell protein SCP from hydrolyzed fiber sludge x Gasification of sludge x Thermo‐alkali hydrolysis of sludge and use of the solid fraction for
production of second‐grade cardboard and the liquid fraction for anaerobic digestion
x Production of hydrogen by supercritical water gasification x Production of lead adsorbent by hydrothermal carbonization
A complementing method for assessment of the recycling technologies has been applied. Based on the principles of circular economy the degree of circularity has been assessed by a panel of expertise from a major Swedish waste handling company. The conclusion when adding the circular economy aspect to the assessment is that production of SCP and a lead adsorber are two alternatives that are regarded as both circular and relatively mature.
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Bo S. Westerlind, Researcher Densified cellulose materials for replacing synthetic yarns and plastic packages The day in 2015 when the countries in the world have used up the sustainable amount of the resources for that year occurred on August 13. For the remaining days in that year the resources being used are borrowed from coming generations. In order to push the earth overshoot day forward several actions are required like, increasing the use of renewable resources while decreasing the use of fossil based ones. Create a circular economy by recycling the materials. A consequence of this will be less of long lasting materials to dispose at landfills or into the sea. In summary, more of the material we use should be recycled, it should come from renewable resources and be biological degradable. Cellulose fibres are; available in large volumes, recyclable, degradable and a candidate for replacing fossil based resources in several end use products. In the past zinc chloride has been used to vulcanise or plasticize cellulose fibres in order to densify the material and achieve higher homogeneity, strength and ductility. This material is still produced and have properties that is somewhat like plastics. The drawback is the environmental issues with zinc chloride and the difficulty with this chemical system to reach high production speed and produce plasticised paper at low costs. With ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents or using alkali systems at freezing temperatures it is possible to dissolve and plasticise cellulose fibres and if that can be achieved with high efficiency at short times then this could extend the use of cellulose based materials. For example, plastics can be replaced in some packaging applications and synthetic fibres with plasticised paper yarns in textiles. The two projects “Plasticized cellulosic composites for packaging materials (COMPAC)” and “Designed for recycling” within the BioInnovation
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project “Establish locally grown textiles in Sweden” try to find solutions for using bio renewable alternatives for products now being made from fossil based resources. COMPAC is a three year EU‐project (2014‐2016) within the framework of WoodWisdom with financial support from EU and Vinnova. Designed for recycling is a Vinnova financed project within BioInnovation. There are three academic partners and eleven companies from Finland, Germany and Sweden involved in the project COMPAC. The idea is to evaluate solvents for cellulose that can be used for partly plasticising cellulose fibres and make the sheets and the fibres denser through increased fibre lumen and fibre network collapse. In a dense cellulosic material with a high degree of bonding between the fibres in the network and between the fibrils in the fibre wall the material will have a more uniform stress transfer, and hence higher tensile strength and stretch. In sulphate cooking of wood chips, lignin and hemicellulose are partly removed from the fibres by using an alkaline liquor. However chemical cooking and bleaching of wood chips through liquor do not give as strong bonds between the fibres compared to the bonds between the fibrils in the cell wall. A paper consisting of a fibre network dissolves in water while a fibre does not and the wet strength of sheets are much lower than the corresponding dry strength while the wet fibre strength is almost as strong as the dry fibre strength. Plasticised fibres will vulcanize or plasticise together creating stronger bonds than those created by cooking and refining. These bonds will be strong wet, making the material hard to recycle and perhaps the bonds will be more similar to the bonds between the fibrils in the cell wall. My role in the project is to evaluate stress‐strain properties of the material including fibre strength and fibre‐to‐fibre bond strength through measurements at short spans either in the plane with a zero span tensile tester or in through‐the‐thickness direction in shear by the notch shear strength test. The idea in the project designed for recycling is to develop and design a bio‐based screen wall that will be recyclable and only contain environmental friendly materials. This is a three year project that started in 2015 and involves two academic partners, two research institutes and six companies. Evaluating the mechanical properties of the screen and its constituents is my role in the project.
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Dr. Birgitta Engberg Improved energy efficiency in high yield pulping During 2015 I have been involved in several research projects in the area of high yield pulping technology. In the project “Refining of softened TMP fibers” we are developing non‐conventional refiner segment patterns in cooperation with Valmet AB. The objective is to make it possible to refine high yield pulp fibers which have been softened (by high temperature or by the use of chemicals) under stable conditions. In conventional refining, using standard segments, there are often problems when refining a softened wood material since the refiner gap needs to be very small and the process therefore gets extremely sensitive for any disturbances. With the new segments, fibers can be treated energy efficiently in a wider plate gap which also make it possible to use earlier suggested methods to reduce energy consumption in mechanical pulping. The segment evaluation trials have up till now been carried out in pilot plant scale, but mill scale evaluations will start during the autumn 2016. I have also been working with different pretreatment techniques combined with altered refining strategies with the objective to increase process efficiency. As an assistant supervisor to Erik Nelsson (industrial PhD‐student, Holmen AB) I have been involved in the PhD project “Chip pretreatment combined with double disc refining”. When softening the wood matrix, with the purpose of reducing the energy consumption, the final pulp properties are also altered which is not always desired. However, wood is a visco‐elastic material which implies that deformation rate and “harshness” during refining will affect how “stiff” the material behaves. So, by accomplishing a more intense refining Erik has been able to, in full mill scale, refine a softened material to the desired pulp properties and at the same time reduce the energy consumption by 15%. In the project “Pretreatment strategies for high yield pulps”, wood pretreatment with sodium
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sulfite using different pH‐levels and dosages have been evaluated both by material testing techniques and refining trials in laboratory and mill scale. Together with Olof Ferritsius and Jan‐Erik Berg I have also been involved in “Fix the mix” which was a pre‐study project where we wanted to find a way to investigate if high yield pulp fibers (containing lignin) can be developed by pure compression loading. A general opinion has been that this type of fibers can only be developed by shearing off material from the fiber walls. So, we loaded a fiber pad (mill TMP) in pure compression using a hydraulic testing machine. The fibers were compressed 25 times and after each compression the fibers were redistributed in order to treat a maximum number of fibers. As a reference the TMP was refined in the mill in a modern double‐disc refiner. The energy efficiency with respect to increase in tensile index was 14 times higher for the compression “refining” compared to common practice. Finally, I have also been cooperating with Tampere University of Technology, using high‐speed photography combined with high strain‐rate testing of wood to learn more about wood rheology and the dynamic behavior of wood in hot steam environments. The purpose of these efforts were to find clues to how changed wood properties may affect the process variables during pulp production. Publications
x Moilanen, C., Björkqvist, T, Engberg, B.A., Salminen, L.I. and Saarenrinne, P: High strain rate radial compression of Norway spruce earlywood and latewood, Cellulose, Publ online 26 Nov 2015, DOI: 10.1007/s10570‐015‐0826‐5
x Moilanen, C., Saarenrinne, P., Engberg, B.A. and Björkqvist, T. (2015): Image Based Stress and Strain Measurement of Wood in the Split‐Hopkinson Pressure Bar, Measurement Science and Technology 26(8), DOI: 10.1088/0957‐0233/26/8/085206
x Berg, J‐E., Sandberg, C., Engberg, B.A. and Engstrand, P. (2015): LC Refining Intensity In The Light Of Forces On Fibres, Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal, 30(2): 225‐229
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Photo: His Majesty the King of Sweden came to visit our
laboratory on Sept 9, 2015.
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Olof Ferritsius, PhD Student Stora Enso Experiences from the World of Mechanical Fibres - A Farm Full of Holy Cows? In 1838 Martin Tupper stated: “Experience teacheth many things, and all men are his scholars. Yet he is a strange tutor, unteaching much that he hath taught”. One of the most fascinating experiences I gained last year was to participate in the inspiring course Scientific philosophy. The insights I got in the course are not untaught this far. However, other stuff have been untaught. I will share three of them with you. I perform my PhD work in close cooperation with mills. One of the basic ideas is to make it possible for the operators to consistently deliver pulp of uniform quality to the paper and board machines. However, it is not at all well‐defined what should be uniform and how to define a “good enough” level. A part of my work is to shed some light on those issues. The possibilities to reduce the specific energy input in refining will increase if a lower average fibre length can be accepted in the products. Therefore it is of outmost importance to have relevant measures of the average fiber length. Since the fibers exhibit a wide distribution in length, an average length can be calculated in many ways. A mean value (numerical average) pay too much attention to the fines. The by far most common way within the industry as well as academia is to use the average length‐weighted length. Even more influence of the longer fibres on the average will be exerted if each fibre is weighted based on its length in square. In a general form, the average fibre length (AFL) can be calculated according to the equation shown in Figure 1 where p=0 corresponds to the mean, p=1 equals length‐weighted, and p=2 the length‐length‐weighted. L is the length of the individual fibre. To broaden our experience we performed a mill study where three grades of wood raw material were refined to CTMP. Round wood chips had the
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shortest fibres while saw mill chips had the longest, which remained after refining. We also ran a 50/50 mixture of these two grades. Average fibre length was measured for the chips as well as for the corresponding CTMP. The degree of correlation, R2, between the average fibre length, AFL, in the wood and AFL in the CTMP as a function of how fibre length was weighted (p) is shown in figure 1. The mean gave a rather high R2, although the correlation was negative(!). Using the well‐established average length‐weighted length gave no correlation between wood and CTMP. The length‐length‐weighted value gave an almost perfect fit. Conclusion: how to define average fibre length was untaught. (Already in 1942 Clark suggested to use the average length‐length‐weighted value so we may have to wait just another 74 years …) Common practice says that in order to produce a high‐quality pulp energy‐efficiently we have to fractionate fibers in screens and hydro cyclones and treat undeveloped and thick‐walled fibers as well as shives in reject refiners. However, based on a BAT study (Best Available Technology) where 16 modern TMP and CTMP lines were evaluated with respect to quality development and energy efficiency we could formulate the following hypothesis: “Correct conditions in the primary refiner stage followed by a very simple post treatment, which develops the fibers just enough to the required level, is a feasible way to reduce the specific energy input in mechanical pulping”. Conclusion: how to design a process was untaught. Common practice also says that fibres should be treated with a high degree of shear forces in refiners in order to be developed energy‐efficiently. To study the importance of the shear forces we took a mill TMP and treated it with pure compression in a material testing system. The fibers were compressed several times. After each compression the fibers were redistributed in order to treat a maximum number of fibres. As a reference the TMP was refined in the mill in a modern double‐disc refiner. The energy efficiency with respect to increase in tensile index was 14 times higher for the compression compared to common practice, Figure 2. Conclusion: how to treat fibres energy‐efficiently was untaught. Lessons learned: Less is more, do things simple but not too simple, even holy cows may give milk.
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Figure 1.
Figure 2.
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Dr. Ida Svanedal Research results 2015 I am a researcher in the group Surface and colloid engineering. My focus is on metal chelators combined with surface and colloid chemistry. Chelating surfactants, which was the subject of my thesis, is one such example. The dual functionality of chelating surfactants makes them very interesting from a technology point of view. The chelating moiety is designed to capture specific metal ions, while the surface active part provides a way of separating the formed complex from a water solution. These molecules also show very interesting surface properties due to their large and highly charged head groups. We have been using neutron and X‐ray reflection measurements to study the adsorption behavior of these molecules, with the purpose to examine the correlation between surface tension and surface excess concentration as well as describing the adsorbed layer. Measurements on the kinetics of the adsorption process were done in May at ISIS at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. April was the start of the two year career program Meriteringsprogrammet at Mid Sweden University, where I am one of the 30 participating young scientists. This program gives me the opportunity to enter another research field: regarding dissolution of cellulose in aqueous based solvents. Increased knowledge on this subject will enhance the possibilities of using wood‐based cellulose in textile and composite materials.
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Mats Paulson, PhD Student Sylvestris Development of a domestic forest based tanning agent The project aims to develop a domestic and forest based tanning agent by studying tanning properties of bark extracts. Use of a forest based tanning agent is more environment friendly than chrome tanning which is the most used tanning method. Tanning of hides to get leather has been done in laboratory and in pilot scale. Bark extracts have been analysed before and after tanning in order to identify the substances that are involved in the tanning. Trials have shown that it is possible to get effective tanning from bark extracts. Tanning means chemically that protein chains (collagen) get crosslinked and that the protein chains are permanently fixed apart. Well‐tanned leather retains the properties of flexibility, toughness, wear and its ability to breathe. Tanning shows similarities to vulcanization of rubber where polymer chains are crosslinked with different chemicals.
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Lina Viklund, PhD student Research results 2015 My research started in the summer of 2015 and has been focusing on bark beetle pheromones. Bark beetle outbreaks are a major problem for the forest industry, causing substantial economic losses. In recent years, two main species have been involved in bark beetle outbreaks in Västernorrland. Large amounts of trees have been killed not only by the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus, which is a well‐known pest species, but also by the small spruce bark beetle Polygraphus poligraphus. The aim of my project is to develop an efficient pheromone bait which can be used to study and monitor Polygraphus poligraphus, as well as in the future, to protect exposed forests in an environmentally friendly way. Pheromone traps offer a species‐specific method of catching and reducing the populations of pest insects. There are two other Polygraphus species which are difficult to differentiate from P. poligraphus and the potential damage they can cause is not known. The ongoing project also aims to determine the structure of the pheromones used by these species, so that they too can be studied and monitored. In the future, I will also focus on various rare insects and their chemical communication. For many endangered species, pheromones are not known, but finding them could be of great help in conservation efforts. In this case, pheromone traps could be used to catch the insects, invent them and then release them. This would be a way of monitoring endangered insects without harming them.
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Figure 2: A pheromone trap from the 2015 field study.
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Rizan Rahmani, PhD Student
Background Rizan Rahmani received her BS (Pure Chemistry) and MS (Organic Chemistry) in 2010 from Iran, since March 2012 she has become a PhD student at Mid Sweden University under the supervision of prof. Erik Hedenström. Area of Interests Her area of research is analysis, identification and synthesis of semiochemicals related to pheromone of pest insects. Current research Her main research project is to analyze and identify bioactive compounds. She has been working with extracts of insects; Pine sawfly, Salts marshes moth, plants; Daucus carota, Coleus forskohlii, Tripterygium wilfordiior and in some cases alive insects such as Polygraphus poligraphus.
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Joel Ljunggren PhD Student Research results 2015 With a multidisciplinary background in biology, programming and chemistry, I am currently neck‐deep within the interdisciplinary cross‐over between ecology and chemistry. I am especially active in the development of effective methods that find biologically relevant information from complex systems. Areas of interest include: Method optimization, DNA sequencing and organism taxonomy, bioassays and their corresponding biological “Big Data” analysis e.g. gen‐ and metabolomics. During 2015, I have been finalizing my laboratory work with wood‐decaying fungi and in particular their inhibition using topical agents from a natural source. A field experiment is currently ongoing where, our putative, antifungal compounds are pitted against commercial products. I am also investigating the production of bioactive compounds when wood‐decaying fungi interact with each other. Bioactivity is a catch‐all term for when any kind of compound has a noticeable effect, be it: inhibitory, attractant, repellant or inducing. A preliminary, and striking result, is the low levels of pH observed when fungi combat each other compared to when they are allowed to grow at their leisure. In addition, the compounds that fungi produce when interacting may well be novel compounds with yet unknown potential. I am currently working with information extraction from biological data in a joint project together with The Swedish Agricultural University in Alnarp and their investigation: Volatile attraction of the Spodoptera, spp larvae to their proposed mutualistic yeast. In April 2015, I presented my licentiate thesis with the title: “Biochemical Interactions of Some Saproxylic Fungi”
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Wennan Zhang, Associate Professor Research results 2015 I am the leader of the Bioenergy research group at FSCN. The research is directed to the thermo‐chemical conversion of biomass into syngas for the downstream production of electricity, automotive fuels and chemicals, such as DME, FT fuels, methanol, ethanol, synthetic natural gas (SNG), hydrogen etc. It is so called BTL (biomass to liquids). In my current work, the objectives are:
x to develop a pilot‐scale dual fluidized bed gasifier (DFBG) for production of a high quality syngas
x to simulate the biorefinery concept when the gasifier is integrated in a mechanical pulp fibre line.
The research emphasis on developing and improving gasification technology by the use of catalytic bed material and internal reformer in the Mid Sweden DFBG and simulation of biomass‐to‐ethanol/Bio‐SNG in the context of a mechanical pulp mill. The current projects are:
x Bio2Fuels2030, pre‐study, funding from EU regional development funds
x Fuel Flexibility, Funding from LKAB x Swedish Gasification Centre, as a member in the centre, funding
from Swedish Energy Agency
The Mid Sweden University DFBG is a 150 kW indirect biomass gasifier as shown here, which was developed by the Bioenergy research group.
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Publications x Göransson K., Söderlind U., Henschel T., Engstrand P. & Zhang W. (2015).
Internal tar/CH4 reforming in a biomass dual fluidised bed gasifier, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 5, pp. 355‐366.
x Göransson K., Söderlind U., Engstrand P. & Zhang W. (2015). An experimental study on catalytic bed materials in a biomass dual fluidised bed gasifier, Renewable energy, 81, pp. 251‐261.
x Zhang W., He J., Engstrand P. & Björkqvist O. (2015). Economic evaluation on bio‐synthetic natural gas production integrated in a thermomechanical pulp mill, Energies, 8 (11), pp. 12795‐12809.
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Dr. Louise Logenius Pretreatment strategies of high yield pulps The focus of my research is wood chemistry, bleaching and pretreatment strategies. During 2015 I have mainly worked with sulphonation of high yield pulps. Sodium sulfite or bisulfite is the most common chemicals used for pretreatment of wood chips prior to refining. Sulphonic groups are introduced in the lignin making the wood matrix softer. The experiments have been carried out in lab, pilot as well as in mill scale. The mechanical properties of wood material is altered by sulphonation. The pH in the sulphonation stage also have an impact on the resulting properties. The maximum stresses that were registered during shear testing of wood samples were decreased with increased sulphite charge and pH, Figure 1. The samples sulphonated at acidic pH did not soften notably. This is partly explained by introduction of less sulphonic groups than at alkaline conditions. Less carboxylic acids are created at acidic pH and a large amount of the carboxylic acids are un‐dissociated at low pH and does not contribute significantly to swelling the lignin. The amount of introduced sulphonic acid groups is not sufficient to overcome this. Split‐Hopkinson testing, (high speed compression testing) showed similar trends as the shear tests. The friction measurements showed that for samples sulphonated at alkaline pH the registered friction coefficients increased with sulphonation degree. Softening of the wood material led to an increased friction coefficient, which most likely could be explained by that a larger part of the wood surface and bulk was deformed. In conclusion, all three laboratory measurement techniques used in this study showed similar trends: Sulphonation at neutral to alkaline pH resulted in a softer wood material and the wood softening was increased as the sulphite charge was increased. Increasing the testing temperature in
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the testing softened the material further. However, sulphonation at low pH did not soften the wood material notably.
Figure 1. Results from shear testing at 20°C. The wood samples were sulphonated using various sulphite charges and pH.
Figure 2. Freeness of pretreated wood chips wing refined at 1500 kWh/t correlated to the maximal shear stress of pretreated wood samples.
Pulp were produced in lab‐scale using a wing refiner. For pulp produced at neutral or alkaline conditions, introduction of more anionic groups resulted in a softer material and therefore a higher freeness level at the same energy input. At low pH the trend was opposite, the pulps had lower freeness. The amount of sulphonic acids in the pulps produced at low pH was slightly lower than for the alkaline pulps at the same charges. The less softened wood material is probably a consequence of low pH. Figure 2 shows the correlation of maximal shear stress and pulp freeness. When wing refining softened wood chips at constant plate gap, many of the loading cycles probably never reached the yield strength of the material. A large part of the applied energy therefore went into hysteresis losses instead of creating structural changes. This draws attention to the importance of applying larger strains to efficiently refine a softened wood material.
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Tetsu Uesaka, Professor, Complex Materials Group What was new in 2015 Complex Materials Group tackles REAL issues in the industry, which are difficult and often fundamental in nature. Today’s grand challenge, “Transformation of the Forest Products Industry”, provides a fascinating opportunity to tackle such problems. “What new value should we create for liner and flute boards?” This is a hard question, as these packaging products are highly matured and many conceivable ideas have been already implemented. PhD student, Amanda Mattsson, is investigating this problem from a completely new perspective by analysing complex stochastic failure of fibre networks. She found that what customers see in end‐use is not strength per se, but “reliability and durability”. These properties are a missing piece in today’s product design puzzle, and also becoming a prerequisite for materials for the sustainable society. The project is now moving into the stage of designing light‐weight structures based on these new performance metrics. This project is financed by KK Foundation. Today, a large proportion of forest‐based fibres are used for various hygiene products, such as tissues, towels, diapers, and feminine products. Fibre network is the most fundamental structural framework that controls almost every functionality of these products. The question is “How to design such fibre networks that will meet increasingly acute demands of consumers?”, or “What fibres are required for these products?” Postdoctoral fellow, Shakhawath Hossain, and PhD student, Per Bergström, started ground‐breaking work by introducing a new computational tool (particle‐based methods for soft matter). The model has already revealed, in an unprecedented level of details, how fibres are oriented, deposited, and deformed to form a fibre network during the consolidation, and how pores insides are opened or collapsed in a complex compression/decompression cycle. These pieces of information are
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essential for answering questions encountered in new product development for these products. This project is also financed by KK Foundation. In 2015 we also took new initiatives by defining two new projects: one is, in the healthcare area, biomechanics of human skin, which addresses the issue of pressure ulcer, a silent epidemic in today’s care facilities of seniors. The project is financially supported by Bo Rydin Foundation. The other project is on jamming transition in granular flow, which concerns the feeding problem of wood chips in a double‐disk refiner, a bottleneck for energy efficiency, production efficiency, and quality control. The project is supported by Energy Agency in Sweden (PhD student, Daniel Raposo). Both projects will start in 2016. In 2015 I had an opportunity to visit Japan to attend a conference and also to discuss with people in Japanese industries. Again the topic is “Industry transformation”. This problem is most acute for Japanese paper industries and also chronic for many years, as the highest energy cost, highest fibre cost, highest labour cost, and plus fierce competitions within the domestic market persist. At the same time, research on new bio‐based products and forest‐based bio‐refinery already abounds, particularly in the industries. The people now poses a question, “What else should we do?” Our quest will continue!
Journal Publications x Mattsson, Amanda, and Tetsu Uesaka. ”Time‐dependent
statistical failure of fiber networks”. Physical Review E 92.4 (2015): 042158.
x Alimadadi, Majid, and Tetsu Uesaka. “3D‐oriented fiber networks made by foam forming”. Cellulose: 1‐11.
Conference Presentation x Uesaka, T., “Complex matters: Things that matter”, Keynote
lecture, Tokyo Paper 2015, Joint International Conference of Paper Physics and Paper and Coating Chemistry, Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 29‐Nov. 1st, 2015.
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Seminar x Uesaka, T., “Micro‐fluidics in fibre network”, invited at Research
Seminar of Society of Fibre Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 2nd, 2015.
Illustration: Complex system is an emerging science area, which aims at solving complex problems in science, engineering and society. Complex Materials group uses the concepts and methodologies in Complex Systems Science to try to solve our industry’s and our society’s challenges.
Complex Systems
Emergence over scalesPattern
formation
Collectivebehaviour
Scaling
Chaos
Self-Organisation
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Md Shakhawath Hossain, Post-doctoral fellow Per Bergström, PhD student
Fibre Network Design: Applications to Hygiene Products A fibre network is the key structural component for hygiene products, such as tissues, towels, diaper, feminine products, etc. In these products, fibres are randomly oriented, distributed and bonded to each other to develop the complex fibre network structure. In order to meet increasingly competitive markets for such products, existing design criteria of fibre network need to be further sharpened and upgraded. The microscopic level of information of the fibre network mechanics can play a critical role to improve the quality of the existing products and to develop new products. Computational modelling and simulation of the complex fibre network provide crucial insights and understanding regarding the mechanical and physical properties of the fibre network which strongly depend on single fibre properties, fibre‐fibre interactions, network configuration, and topology. In this project, a new particle‐based computational model has been developed to present the microscopic details of the fibre network structure generation. The developed model is also capable of investigating the deformation and failure mechanics of the generated network in compression or tension. In this discrete particle‐based fibre network model, each fibre is represented by a number of particles which are bonded together with viscoelastic springs. The three‐dimensional equilibrium shapes of the fibres are defined by the equilibrium bending/twisting angles between the neighbouring particles. Each pair of bonded particles can undergo
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stretching, compression, shearing, bending and twisting due to their relative linear and rotational motion. The generation of network is modelled by depositing fibres under gravity and pressure gradient and by consolidation by compression. The discrete, bonded particle‐based fibre network model described here is flexible enough to represent complex fibre shapes and fibre network structures, and also complex mechanical behaviour in three dimensions.
Illustration: Fibres are deposited on a virtual wire under gravity and pressure gradient, like air‐laid process for nonwoven. The model provides precise details of how fibres interact during deposition and how the fibre network structure evolves in the process.
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Amanda Mattsson, PhD student Light-weight Structural Composites from Fibre-based Materials Research results The overall goal of this project is to develop light‐weight structural composites from fibre‐based materials. Light‐weighting contributes to the sustainable society through (1) the reduction of energy use in transportation vehicles (automobiles, aircrafts, trains, and ships), (2) the reduction of energy/material/water/labour use in materials manufacturing, and finally (3) the use of renewable biomaterials (forest‐based fibres). Examples of light‐weight structural composites and applications are shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. Unlike traditional composites, which are made from two or more constituent materials, light‐weight structural composites consist of a structure of materials mixed with “air”. To the left is a Truss structure, and to the right is a Honeycomb structure used for the shells of an aircraft and a high‐speed train.
For this purpose we developed a probabilistic design method for the structural composites. This method is distinct and novel from traditional strength‐based criteria, because it represents “true performance” that end‐users see. It also prevents high safety factor and product overdesign that
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the strength criteria often cause. We found that durability and reliability are the new performance metrics for materials for the sustainable society.
During the year of 2015 a Monte‐Carlo simulation model of a fibre network was further developed in order to understand how fibre properties and network structures affect the durability and reliability. In parallel we have been performing experiments of liner and flute boards, and we will conclude the experiments during 2016.
Achievements of the year Journal articles
x Mattsson, A. and T. Uesaka (2015). Time‐dependent statistical failure of fiber networks. Physical Review E 92(4): 042158.
Presentation at international conference x Mattsson, A., and Uesaka, T., Characterisation of time‐dependent,
stochastic failure of fibre‐based materials, Tokyo Paper 2015, International Joint Conference of Paper Physics and Paper and Coating Chemistry Symposium, Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 29‐Nov. 1st, 2015.
Invited talks x Mattsson, Amanda, Time‐dependent stochastic failure of fibre
network, at Dept. Mechanical Engineering Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, Nov., 2015.
x Mattsson, Amanda, Time‐dependent stochastic failure of fibre network, at Dept. Forest‐based Bio‐materials, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, Nov., 2015.
Seminars x Mattsson, Amanda, Light‐weight Composites from Fibre‐based
Materials: Reliability‐based Design, BillerudKorsnäs, Gruvön mill, Grums, Sweden, Oct., 2015.
x Mattsson, Amanda, Light‐weight Composites from Fibre‐based Materials: Reliability‐based Design, SCA, R&D Centre and Munksund mill, Sundsvall, Sweden, Nov., 2015.
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Daniel Filipe Estradas Raposo, PhD Student Jamming Transition in Granular Flow: Applications to Infeed Control in Double Disk Refiner My PhD project concerns the granular flow in the onset of jamming. This problem is closely related to an industrial problem, “clogging of wood chips in the infeed section of double disk refiner in mechanical pulping”. The problem not only reduces the production efficiency and thus the loss of energy efficiency in the double disk refiner, but also creates the fluctuations of consistency and pulp quality. The jamming transition has been recently highlighted in the statistical physics literature (e.g., [1], [2] and [3]) in the case of static (non‐flowing) granular packs. This project will extend the previous studies to those cases of jamming in a flowing current of particles, either due to high density fluctuation (like traffic jams) and/or due to Hopper‐flow like jamming in non‐linear flowing geometries, by using a numerical method “Discrete Element Method (DEM)”. The purpose of the project is to better understand the not‐well‐known phenomena of clogging in the infeed section of double‐disk refiner on the wood chip level, and devise design criteria for the process. The project is financially supported by Energy Agency, and is performed in close collaboration with the High‐Yield pulping group, and Valmet as an industrial partner.
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Illustration: Flowing of non‐bonded particles in a tube. References
1. OʹHern C S, Silbert L E, Liu A J and Nagel S R 2003 Phys. Rev. E 68, 011306
2. Makse HA, Gland N, Johnson DL and Schwartz L 2004 Phys. Rev. E 70, 061302
3. Zhang H P and Makse H A 2005 Phys. Rev. E 72 011301
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Dr. Sven Norgren Development of CTMP & TMP Technologies Research results 2015 During 2015 I have been involved in several research projects in the area of high yield pulping technology, all more or less focused on developing of new technologies, which can be used in the TMP and CTMP industry. I have been working in cooperation with Gunilla Pettersson at FSCN. Advanced HYP for paperboard: The project started in April 2015 in cooperation with SCA Östrand, Stora Enso and Valmet. Here the project goal is to develop and demonstrate techniques, based on hardwood (CTMP) particularly birch, to be used in manufacturing of paperboard. The total energy consumption in refining of such hardwood CTMP should be lower than 700 kWh/ton, to be compared to about 1200 kWh/ton in standard CTMP manufacturing. The CTMP should preferably be used in middle plies in a paperboard, which will offer an opportunity to reduce grammage with given bending stiffness and improve brightness as well as surface smoothness in final products. At present a main obstacle to use birch CTMP in some paperboard qualities, e.g. liquid board, is a too high content of extractives. These can cause problems with odour and taste from the packaging material or, in the worst case, from the packed products. Improved techniques have to be developed to make birch CTMP an attractive complement to spruce CTMP for the paperboard industry. Recently, a full scale test‐trial at SCA Östrand were performed, where HT‐CTMP (high‐temperature) from birch was manufactured, in combination with suitable refiner segments and different refiner line settings it was possible to achieve an energy reduction by up to 30 %. Analyses of extractives from different positions in the mill were examined. A pilot plant trial at Valmet has also been carried out together with Valmet and Stora Enso Research, where LC‐refining on different birch pulps were studied.
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Market pulp of CTMP with doubled the strength properties: In this project funded by Nils and Dorthi Troëdsson Research Foundation, we intend to develop a process concept where the fibers in market pulps can be surface modified already in the pulp production. Based on a pre‐study a realistic goal for the project is to double the strength properties (tensile and Z‐strength) for market pulp made of CTMP (wood yield about 90%). A successful outcome of the project may make it possible to compete successfully, with regarding both cost and quality, with chemical market pulp (wood yield about 50%) in manufacturing of paper products with such high strength requirements that todayʹs high‐yield pulp is not an interesting option. Strong paper: Project title in which several projects with similar goals is gathered. Projects have been financed by Processum, Åforsk and Swedish Energy agency and in cooperation with MoRe Research and Stora Enso. In these projects we have mainly concentrated our efforts on broadening the quality profile of lignin rich high yield pulps (mainly CTMP) at development of new process technology that can widen the use in paperboard qualities where high bulk at certain Z‐strength is the main priority. However, we have also found that it would be possible to reach very high strength levels of CTMP based sheets if there is no demand on high bulk. During laboratory tests we have found that press‐drying at temperatures exceeding 100°C of sheets from surface treated CTMP‐fibres, can achive both very high tensile strength and very high compression strength (SCT). The quality profile of these laboratory sheets from HYP is well in level with or better than what today is the demand for different packaging paper materials where very high strength is highly prioritized, i.e. liner, fluting and paper bags. Preliminary results show that press‐drying with surface treated CTMP fibres produce at 1200 kWh/bdmt can give tensile index >80 Nm/g at a sheet density of 750 kg/m3. The tensile stiffness and compression strength (SCT) is similar or better compared to what is normally reached with commercial chemical pulp based liner. Other projects: I have been assistant supervisor to PhD student Sinke Henshaw and working with studies within the field of nano ligno cellulose. Publications Journals
x Pettersson, G. , Höglund, H. , Norgren, S. , Sjöberg, J. , Peng, F. , Hallgren, H. , Moberg, A. , Ljungqvist, C. & et al. (2015). Strong and
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bulky paperboard sheets from surface modified CTMP, manufactured at low energy. Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal, vol. 30: 2, ss. 318‐324.
Conference proceedings
x Henshaw Osong, S. , Dahlström, C. , Forsberg, S. , Andres, B. , Engstrand, P. , Norgren, S. , Olin, H. & Engström, A. (2015). Development of CTMP‐based nanofibrillated Cellulose /nanographite composites for paper applications.
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Dr. Gunilla Pettersson Development of CTMP & TMP Technologies Research results 2015 During 2015 I have been involved in several research projects in the area of high yield pulping technology. The projects have mainly focused on developing of new technologies, especially for manufacturing of folding boxboard and liquid packaging board. I have been working in cooperation with Sven Norgren at FSCN. The project “Advanced HYP for paperboard” started in April 2015 in cooperation with SCA Östrand, Stora Enso and Valmet. Here the project goal is to develop and demonstrate techniques, based on hardwood (CTMP) particularly birch, to be used in manufacturing of paperboard. The total energy consumption in refining of such hardwood CTMP should be lower than 700 kWh/ton, to be compared to about 1200 kWh/ton in standard CTMP manufacturing. The CTMP should preferably be used in middle plies in a paperboard, which will offer an opportunity to reduce grammage with given bending stiffness and improve brightness as well as surface smoothness in final products. At present a main obstacle to use birch CTMP in some paperboard qualities, e.g. liquid board, is a too high content of extractives. These can cause problems with odour and taste from the packaging material or, in the worst case, from the packed products. Improved techniques have to be developed to make birch CTMP an attractive complement to spruce CTMP for the paperboard industry. Recently, a full scale test‐trial at SCA Östrand were performed, where HT‐CTMP (high‐temperature) from birch was manufactured, in combination with suitable refiner segments and different refiner line settings it was possible to achieve an energy reduction by up to 30 %. Analyses of extractives from different positions in the mill were examined. A pilot plant trial at Valmet has also been carried out together with Valmet and Stora Enso Research, where LC refining on different birch pulps were studied.
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In a project funded by Nils and Dorthi Troëdsson Research Foundation, “Market pulp of CTMP with doubled the strength properties” we intend to develop a process concept where the fibers in market pulps can be surface modified already in the pulp production. Based on a pre‐study a realistic goal for the project is to double the strength properties (tensile and Z‐strength) for market pulp made of CTMP (wood yield about 90%). A successful outcome of the project may make it possible to compete successfully, with regarding both cost and quality, with chemical market pulp (wood yield about 50%) in manufacturing of paper products with such high strength requirements that todayʹs high‐yield pulp is not an interesting option. In the project “Refining of softened TMP fibers” we are developing non‐conventional refiner segment patterns in cooperation with Valmet AB. The objective is to make it possible to refine high yield pulp fibers which have been softened (by high temperature or by the use of chemicals) under stable conditions. In conventional refining, using standard segments, there are often problems when refining a softened wood material since the refiner gap needs to be very small and the process therefore gets extremely sensitive for any disturbances. With the new segments, fibers can be treated energy efficiently in a wider plate gap which also make it possible to use earlier suggested methods to reduce energy consumption in mechanical pulping. The segment evaluation trials have up till now been carried out in pilot plant scale, but mill scale evaluations will start during the autumn 2016. Strong paper: This is a title in which several projects with similar goals are gathered. The projects have been financed by Processum, Åforsk and Swedish Energy Agency and in cooperation with MoRe Research and Stora Enso. In these projects we have until now mainly concentrated our efforts on broadening the quality profile of lignin rich high yield pulps (mainly CTMP) at development of new process technology that can widen the use in paperboard qualities where high bulk at certain Z‐strength is the main priority. However, we have also found that it would be possible to reach very high strength levels of CTMP based sheets if there is no demand on high bulk. During laboratory tests we have found that press‐drying at temperatures exceeding 100°C of sheets from surface treated CTMP‐fibres, can achieve both very high tensile strength and very high compression strength (SCT). The quality profile of these laboratory sheets from HYP is well in level with or better than what today is the demand for different packaging paper materials where very high strength is highly prioritized,
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i.e. liner, fluting and paper bags. Preliminary results show that press‐drying with surface treated CTMP fibres produce at 1200 kWh/bdmt can give tensile index >80 Nm/g at a sheet density of 750 kg/m3. The tensile stiffness and compression strength (SCT) is similar or better compared to what is normally reached with commercial chemical pulp based liner.
Publications Journals
x Pettersson, G. , Höglund, H. , Norgren, S. , Sjöberg, J. , Peng, F. , Hallgren, H. , Moberg, A. , Ljungqvist, C. & et al. (2015). Strong and bulky paperboard sheets from surface modified CTMP, manufactured at low energy. Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal, vol. 30: 2, ss. 318‐324.
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Dr Thomas Öhlund, Researcher Research results 2015 Low‐cost solution‐processing of highly conductive films is important for the expanding market of printed electronics. For roll‐to‐roll manufacturing, suitable flexible substrates and compatible sintering are essential. During the year, two studies were published, elaborating on a special paper design concept. Not only is the paper design compatible with the requirements for sintering of solution‐processed metal films, but the design actually facilitates 1) Intense pulsed light processing of copper films. 2) Low temperature sintering of silver nanoparticle films. Inkjet fabrication of highly conductive copper patterns was performed by utilizing special coated papers. The effectiveness and reliability of IPL processing of water‐based CuO dispersion were improved by using papers with a porous CaCO3 precoating. The performance advantage remained over a range of coating pore sizes, as well as when compared with several types of commercial substrates. A conductivity corresponding to more than 50% of the conductivity of bulk copper was achieved. IPL processing of CuO patterns with varying feature size is often challenging, since the suitable exposure energy tends to be dependent on feature size. Importantly, the CaCO3 precoating increased the viable range of exposure energy, and therefore improved the processing reliability. The beneficial effect of the CaCO3 precoating can arguably be attributed mainly to its porosity, allowing effective removal of the water and ink additives. This reduces the risk of film damage and delamination during the IPL exposure. Low‐temperature sintering of AgNP films was facilitated by custom‐designed coated papers. The concept is to incorporate the sintering agent as an integral part of the mesoporous paper coating, to achieve low‐temperature sintering without the need for chemical pre‐treatment or post‐treatment. A small concentration of chloride was added in the coating
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during the paper manufacturing. During the ink deposition and solvent uptake, chloride migrates into the AgNP film, concentrates and facilitates the sintering. Further, it was demonstrated that the sintering was impaired by increasing the coating pore size, but greatly enhanced by using a porous CaCO3 precoating. To conclude, two main concepts were demonstrated that greatly affected postprocessing of metal films. i) Incorporating an active sintering agent in the coating recipe. ii) Adapting the precoating. Each of those concepts, or a combination, may be utilized to tailor the paper properties for a specific material dispersion and sintering/processing method. Paper substrates offer not only advantages such as environmental friendliness and fast ink absorption capability, but also great possibilities for adaptation and tailoring in design. As was shown in these studies, tailored coated papers may be designed to facilitate sintering and other postprocessing of solution‐processed metal films. This suggests high potential for roll‐to‐roll fabrication of printed electronics.
Publications x T. Öhlund, A. Schuppert, M. Hummelgård, J. Bäckström, H‐E.
Nilsson and H. Olin (2015). Inkjet Fabrication of Copper Patterns for Flexible Electronics: Using Paper with Active Precoatings. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 7(33), 18273‐18282
x T. Öhlund, A. Schuppert, B. Andres, H. Andersson, S. Forsberg, W. Schmidt, H‐E. Nilsson, M. Andersson, Renyun Zhang and H. Olin (2015). Assisted sintering of silver nanoparticle inkjet inks on paper with active coatings. RSC Advances 5(80), 64841‐64849.
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Figure 1: Custom‐designed paper with porous precoating facilitates flashlight processing of inkjet‐printed CuO patterns, and thereby improves the reliability and conductivity of the resulting copper pattern.
Figure 2: Custom‐designed paper with ‘active’ coating injects chloride ions into inkjetprinted silver nanoparticle film and thereby induces room‐temperature sintering.
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Sven Forsberg, Researcher and project manager Research on graphene and energy storage I enjoy bringing new ideas to reality. My background is in colloid chemistry and papermaking, but with time I have been working more and more with research in nano‐technology. I have a particular interest in graphene. Graphene is a one molecular layer thick carbon material, which has many uses. It has been a great pleasure to be a part of starting and presently executing the KEPS, MODULIT and LION projects. All three projects are aiming at solving energy storage questions and graphene is part of the solution in all of them. These projects have also, in one way or another, cellulose as a common denominator. My forth research project 2D inks has now ended and the results has been taken over by the spin‐off company 2D fab AB.
Publications
x Öhlund, T., Schuppert, A., Andres, B., Andersson, H., Forsberg, S., Schmidt, W., Nilsson, H. , Andersson, M. & et al. (2015). Assisted sintering of silver nanoparticle inkjet inks on paper with active coatings. RSC Advances, vol. 5, ss. 64841‐64849.
x Zhang, R. , Alecrim, V. , Hummelgård, M. , Andres, B. , Forsberg, S. , Andersson, M. & Olin, H. (2015). Thermally reduced kaolin‐graphene oxide nanocomposites for gas sensing. Scientific Reports, vol. 5, ss. Art. no. 7676
x Andres, B. Dahlström, C. Engström, AC, Forsberg, S. Blomquist, N. Olin, H. (2015). Cellulose‐based binder systems for electrochemical electrodes. 2015 E‐MRS Spring Meeting, May 11‐15 2015 Lille France
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x Forsberg, S. Andres, B. Blomquist, N. Dahlström, C. Engström, AC, Olin, H. (2015). Paper‐based supercapacitors. 2015 E‐MRS Spring Meeting, May 11‐15 2015 Lille France
x Henshaw Osong, S. Dahlström, C. Forsberg, S. Andres, B, Engstrand, P… (2015). Development of CTMP‐based nanofibrillated Cellulose/nanographite composites for paper applications, 9th International Fundamental Mechanical Pulp Research Seminar.
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Håkan Olin, professor KM2 - Large functional surfaces During 2015 we have been working on several research projects developing knowledge about large‐area functional energy solutions. The projects concerns both storing and harvesting green energy. The research projects are: KEPS ‐ The research team behind Kinetic Energy Storage of Paper‐Based Supercapacitors (KEPS) has demonstrated that graphene coated on paper could provide inexpensive as well as efficient supercapacitors. Modulit ‐ This project aims to print energy storage devices such as supercapacitors on paper for printed electronics applications. LION ‐ The aim is to develop new electrodes with larger capacity to lithium‐ion batteries. Paper Solar Cells ‐ Low‐cost solar cells are needed. Manufacturing processes of today are mainly based on costly vacuum methods making solar electricity too expensive. Roll‐to‐roll processing is potentially a more efficient manufacturing method for solar cells. Off‐grid street lights ‐ We are starting a project together with Sundsvalls kommun and others about off‐grid street lights powered by solar cells and wind turbines. This project include demonstrators at campus Sundsvall. During 2015 I supervised 4 PhD students. Publications
x RY Zhang, V Alecrim, M Hummelgård, B Andres, S Forsberg, M Andersson, H Olin, Thermally reduced kaolin‐graphene oxide nanocomposites for gas sensing, Scientific Reports 5 (2015) 7676
x T Öhlund, A Schuppert, B Andres, H Andersson, S Forsberg, W Schmidt, HE Nilsson, H Olin, Assisted sintering of silver nanoparticle inkjet inks on paper with active coatings, RSC Advances 5 (2015) 64841‐68849
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x S Edvardsson, M Neuman, P Edström, H Olin, Solving equations through particle dynamics, Computer Physics Communications 197 (2015) 169‐181
x E Balliu, H Andersson, M Hummelgård, H Olin, M Engholm, Laser sintering of silver nano‐particles inks printed on paper substrates, Proc. SPIE 9351, Laser‐based Micro‐ and Nanoprocessing IX 9351 (2015) 935111 1‐8
x T Öhlund, AK Schuppert, M Hummelgård, J Bäckström, HE Nilsson, H Olin, Inkjet Fabrication of Copper Patterns for Flexible Electronics: Using Paper with Active Precoatings, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 7 (2015) 18273–18282
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