Burned wood in the pulp and paper industry: A literature review

Fires play an integral part in Canadian forest architecture. Low-value wood, from burned stems, is an important source of fibre for the pulp and paper industry. Although wood chemistry changes induced by fire are substantial, burned stems exhibit a demarcation layer between the char and undamaged wood which is only a few cells thick. The loss of stem moisture content requires that burned wood is processed within one year. Aggressive debarking will minimize charcoal contamination and careful metering of chips from burned wood into any pulping process is essential. Chips with low moisture content must be pre-steamed prior to kraft cooking, and chemical pre-treatment may improve mechanical pulp quality. Key words: burn intensity, wood chemistry, charring, stem moisture content, charcoal contamination, chip metering