Complexing agents for bleach stabilization in the pulp industry

BTC Europe offers under the brand name Trilon® a broad product range of high performance and innovative complexing agents, also known as chelating agents. Chelating agents are able to complex metal ions. Chelating agents are able to prevent the deleterious impact of metal ions during the bleaching processes within the paper and pulp industry. The presence of free metal ions, such as iron, copper, manganese and magnesium, reduces efficiency of the bleaching step. Chelates are particularly important in the treatment of mechanical pulps were heavy ions in the lignin have a detrimental effect on the effectiveness of bleaches. In mechanical pulping, chelates are added separately and combined with sodium hydrosulphite bleaching compounds. Bleached thermomechanical (TMP) pulps and chemo-thermomechanical (CTMP) pulps use hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydrosulphite and are in need of chelates. In the manufacturing of pulp and paper Trilon® grades are used to degrade the uncomplexed metal ions which catalyse the degradation of hydrogen peroxide, ozone and oxygen, to increase the efficiency and durability of the bleaching agents, to enhance the effectiveness of bleach systems, to achieve higher brightness levels and to control scaling.