Tall Oil Production
Pinola Chemical is used in the paper and pulp industry. More specifically it is applied in the process of producing tall-oil, pls see below. It is added in the acidification process to prevent precipitation of calcium sulfate and other hard-to-dissolve salts. It also acts as a dispersant, keeping fine particles suspended so they don’t settle and clog equipment.
Short description of the process
The tall oil process. The most common method for producing pulp from wood is the sulfate process. From its by-product, tall soap, crude tall oil can be extracted.
- Cooking – White liquor becomes black liquor
Wood chips are cooked together with white liquor (a strong alkaline solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide).
- The white liquor dissolves lignin, fatty acids, and resins from the wood.
- During cooking, the liquor becomes contaminated and is then called black liquor.
- Soap formation
When black liquor is stored in large tanks, fatty acids and resin acids float to the surface and form a soap phase. - Skimming
The soap is skimmed off from the black liquor and collected in tanks for further processing. - Acidulation
The soap is treated with acid, usually sulfuric acid. This produces an oil phase consisting of crude tall oil and a water phase.
A challenge here: salts such as calcium may form calcium sulfate scale deposits in pipes, negatively affecting the process. To prevent this, PINOLA Chemical are used. - Separation
By centrifugation, the oil phase, water phase, and solids are separated.
Final Product
The result is crude tall oil, a dark brown liquid that can be further refined into:
- Biofuels
- Chemicals
- Adhesives, paints, and varnishes
- Soaps and cleaning agents