Title
Optimizing soda-monoethanolamine pulping: impact on cellulose degradation, rheology and pulp quality
Authors
ROHIT GUSAIN, PRAVEEN KUMAR GUPTA, VIKAS RANA and DEEPAK PAL

Received July 1, 2025
Published Volume 60 Issue 1-2 January-February
Keywords monoethanolamine, Organsolv pulping, soda pulping, cellulose degradation

Abstract
This study investigated the use of monoethanolamine (MEA) as an additive in soda pulping to decrease alkali consumption, improve pulping efficiency, and reduce cellulose degradation. MEA was added at various concentrations. Results show that higher MEA concentrations improved delignification, preserved cellulose, and significantly reduced pulp rejects. A higher MEA addition resulted in pulp with a lower kappa number, fewer rejects, and higher yields compared to the control. MEA proved to be an effective alkali additive in the pulping process, providing equivalent pulp yield and kappa number to a control soda pulp with reduced alkali and different combinations of MEA. Rheological studies showed that higher alkali charges with MEA promoted effective delignification, but also caused cellulose degradation, reflected by lower pulp viscosity. Conversely, lower alkali charges with MEA showed minimal changes in kappa number, but led to a significant increase in pulp viscosity and a reduction in cellulose degradation.