BioMatNet Item: FAIR-CT95-0805 - OXEPI: Oxidative enzymes for the pulp and paper industry

FAIR-CT95-0805
OXEPI: Oxidative enzymes for the pulp and paper industry

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Biological Conversion : FAIR Area 1.3 - Forestry-Wood Chain : Paper/Pulp : Process Engineering : Pulping

	Type of Project	Shared Cost
	Contract No	FAIR-CT95-0805
	Total Cost	2 730 913 ECU
	EC Contribution	1 928 303 ECU
	Start Date	01/12/1995
	Duration	36 months

Oxidative enzymes for the pulp and paper industry (OXEPI)

Objectives

The new bleaching processes using oxygen, ozone and peroxide constitute an essential improvement in the sustainability of pulp production but their limitations are high chemical consumption, loss of strength and high lignin content of the resulting pulp. Biotechnological methods, such as the use of ligninolytic enzymes, offer intrinsically clean process alternatives.

Technical Approach

The aim of this project is threefold:

to improve the understanding of the delignification by oxidative enzymes
to find new ligninolytic enzymes, better suited to industrial bleaching conditions
to integrate these enzymes into TCF bleaching sequences

Expected Results

A TCF bleaching process, supported by a ligninolytic enzyme system has been realised by:

Development of a lignin depolymerising enzyme system

producing known lignin modifying enzymes for basic and applied studies
developing an in vitro test system for the depolymerisation of ¹⁴C-labelled synthetic lignins, lignin model compounds and pulp models
evaluating and optimising oxidative enzyme systems for pulp delignification
optimising conditions for lignin depolymerisation vs. polymerisation
identifying secondary metabolite cofactors having an important role in biobleaching
optimising the culture conditions for enzyme production by selected strains

Screening for novel, more efficient enzymes and development of a production system

screening of fungi and streptomycetes for novel oxidative enzymes adapted to industrial conditions
evaluating the lignin modifying capacity of the enzyme preparations of the selected micro-organisms in the in vitro test system
optimising the fermentation conditions for the production of novel ligninolytic enzymes for application studies
developing hyperproducing mutants

Development of oxidative enzyme bleaching and mechanical pulp production

testing the selectivity of optimised delignifying enzyme systems on softwood kraft, Eucalyptus kraft and sulfite pulp
using the optimised depolymerisation conditions to enhance the effect of chosen lignin modifying enzymes in different enzyme-aided TCF bleaching sequences including oxygen, ozone, alkaline hydrogen peroxide and acid hydrogen peroxide
studying the reactivity of pulps treated with lignin degrading enzymes towards -different TCF bleaching sequences
evaluating the potential of the enzyme aided TCF bleaching sequences for their application under mill conditions
evaluating the effect of the selected enzymes to reduce the energy consumption in mechanical pulping and to improve the properties of mechanical pulps by prior enzymatic treatment of wood chips

Application

Totally chlorine free bleaching processes of the pulp and paper industry as well as in mechanical pulp production.

Screening fungi

Fungal hyphae penetrating wood cells

Contacts

Coordinator

Prof Kurt MESSNER / Institut fur Biochemische Technologie und Mikrobiologie / AUSTRIA

EC Scientific Officer

Ignacio SEOANE / European Commission DG Research Theme 1 Key Action 5.3 / BELGIUM

Participant

Subcontractor