Organocell process

Composition of Aqueous Phase from Spruce, derived from the First Stage of the Organocell Process... 

So far the aqueous fraction of the Organocell process seems to be a valuable source for an easy recovery of acetylated galactoglucomannan. The precipitated hemicellulose fraction was re-dissolved in citrate buffer pH 5 and incubated with purified xylanase (Fig. 2). Xylanase incubation led to the liberation of some xylose and xylo-oligomers (Fig. 3 buttom). The humpback present in the SEC elution curve (7.5 h) of the starting material may be derived from xylan impurities, since it disappeared after xylanase treatment. Therefore, specific xylanase treatment of the original hemicellulose solution prior to the precipitation seems to be the method of choice to obtain a pure acetylgalactoglucomannan. 

Figure 1. SEC elution curves of the precipitated hemicellulose fraction from the Organocell process and a glucomannan, both from Norway spruce. SEC TSK HW 55 (100 X 2,5 cm) 1 ml/min 0,1 Mphosphate buffer pH 7.2 detection 540 nm after reaction with 0.2% 3,5 dihydroxytoluene in 72% HfS04.

Organocell A combined process for delignifying and bleaching wood pulp. Developed by Technocell, Dusseldorf. 

Schroeter, M. C., Possible lignin reactions in the organocell pulping process. Tappi J1991, 74 (10), 197-200. 

---