Effect of CMC addition on grinding characteristics of hardwood bleached kraft pulp

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) addition on the grinding characteristics of hardwood bleached kraft pulp (HwBKP). CMC was added into the pulp stock before grinding, and thereafter morphological properties and fibrillation characteristics of HwBKP during grinding were evaluated. It was found that CMC contributed to improve grinding of HwBKP. Fibrillation parameters including fibril area, fibril perimeter, water retention value, and pulp slurry viscosity were increased with the CMC addition. On the other hand, morphological properties including fiber width, fiber length, and curl were not influenced by the addition of CMC. It was speculated that CMC improved fibrillation of HwBKP during grinding because CMC acted as a lubricant and/or a thickener.