Ultraviolet Microscopic Study on Lignin Distribution in the Fiber Cell Wall of BCTMP

Bleached chemithermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) was produced from CTMP of Betula maximowicziana Regel by two staged ozone-hydrogen peroxide bleaching in order to improve the optical properties of high yield pulp. This pulp was used for the evaluation of optical properties improvement, chemical characteristics of lignin in fiber and the relationship between lignin and optical properties in fiber cell wall. Hydrogen peroxide treatment improved the brightness, but the post color number (PC No.). There was little improvement on optical properties by ozone treatment, but this could be improved more by using two staged ozone-hydrogen peroxide bleaching. The hydrogen peroxide treatment did not make any change on chemical characteristics of lignin in cell wall, but by ozone treatment, it was found that the non-aromatic conjugated structure was existed in the surface of cell wall, but this could be removed by hydrogen peroxide treatment in two staged ozone-hydrogen peroxide treatment. Therefore, the optical properties was significantly improved, due to the removal of non-aromatic conjugated structure.