Pulping innovations in Germany

The dynamic growth in world paper demand in conjunction with ever-increasing environmental restrictions is responsible for recent pulping innovations. Although sulfate pulping will maintain its dominant position, alternative, environmentally-compatible pulping processes will appear on the industrial scene in the next two decades. This is true for West Germany, in particular, where the pulp industry has always been based exclusively on sulfite pulping. Leading this development is the Organocell process which is to be implemented on an industrial scale in 1992. Other processes (ASAM, Acetosolv) will follow and generally accept a broad raw material basis, including annual plant fibres. The suitability for pulping of the latter was proved experimentally, especially for ASAM pulping. The potential contribution of agricultural residues (e.g. straw), fast-growing plantation species (e.g. poplar and eucalypts) or China grass, often called Elephant grass or Giant grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Giganteus'), to the raw material basis of the pulp and paper industry of the future appears to be rather more dependent on political, economic and competitive import conditions.