Oxalic Acid Technology

History and Development

BioPulping International, Inc. discovered that a low molecular weight chemical (oxalic acid), produced by the fungus on the wood chips during a 2-week storage, turned out to be partly responsible for some biopulping effects (i.e. energy savings and strength improvement). A mild treatment of oxalic acid on wood chips removes hemicellulose and other wood constituents, saves electrical energy, improves paper strength, and reduces the extractive and triglyceride component in the wood chips during mechanical refining. The technology also has the potential to save energy, improve properties, reduce chemical consumption, reduce cooking time and temperature, and increase throughput, etc. during chemical pulping. The extraction products can be converted into a variety of useful, value-added compounds for a wide range of industrial applications, including transportation fuels. Extraction of high-value products can contribute to profitability and can help to offset certain fixed and variable costs.  The oxalic acid technology provides an effective means of enhancing the physical properties of paper, reducing the energy requirement in pulp production by a least 25% (already proven at a pilot scale at Andritz, Inc.), and reducing the resin or extractive content.