United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Mail Code 4303
EPA-821-F-93-003
November, 1993
FACT SHEET
PROPOSED EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS GUIDELINES AND
NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS
AIR POLLUTANTS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PULP,
PAPER, AND PAPERBOARD - Industry Subcategory
Definitions
INTRODUCTION
The proposed regulations are organized into 12 subcategories. These subcategories replace
the subcategorization scheme used for the existing effluent guidelines for this industry (whfch are
addressed in the rrtrrtft flf F*H"al "^^ions. Parts 430 and 431) because they better define the
processes typically found in U.S. mills. The proposed subcategones are set forth below.
Dissolving Kraft (Subpart A)
- Includes production of a highly bleached and
purified kraft wood pulp using an alkaline
sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide cooking
liquor with acid prehydrolysis, The principal
product is a dissolving kraft wood pulp used
primarily for the manufacture of rayon,
viscose, acetate, and other products requiring
a high percentage of alpha cellulose and a low
percentage of hemicellulose. This sub-category
includes production at facilities that
manufacture dissolving grade kraft pulps and
papergrade kraft pulps at the same site.
Bleached Papergrade Kraft and Soda
(Subpart B)
- Includes production of a bleached kraft
wood pulp using an alkaline sodium hydroxide
and sodium sulfide cooking liquor. Principal
productsinclude papergrade kraft market pulp,
paperboard, coarse papers, tissue papers,
uncoated free sheet, and fine papers, which
include business, writing, and printing papers.
This subcategory also includes production of
bleached soda wood pulp using an alkaline
sodium hydroxide cooking liquor. Principal
products are fine papers, which include
printing, writing and business papers, and
market pulp.
Unbleached Kraft (Subpart C)
- Includes production of kraft wood pulp
without bleaching using an alkaline sodium
hydroxide and sodium sulfide cooking liquor.
Principal products include unbleached kraft
market pulp, bag papers, and liner board (the
smooth facing in corrugated boxes).
This subcategory also includes production of
both unbleached kraft and semi-chemical wood
pulps at mills with cross-recovery processes.
Principal products are similar to those
produced at stand-alone unbleached kraft mills
and stand-alone semi-chemical mills.
Dissolving Sulflte (Subpart D)
~ Includes production of a highly bleached and
purified sulfite wood pulp using acidic cooking
liquors of calcium, magnesium, ammonium, or
sodium sulfites. Pulps produced by this
process are used primarily for manufacturing
rayon, cellophane, methyl cellulose, ethyl
cellulose, nitra-cellulose, cellulose acetate, and
other products that require a high percentage
of alpha cellulose and a low percentage of
hemicellulose. It also includes production at
facilities that manufacture dissolving grade
sulfite pulps and papergrade sulfite pulps at the
same site.
Papergrade Sulflte (Subpart E)
- Includes production of sulfite wood pulp,
with or without brightening or bleaching, using
an acidic cooking liquor of calcium, magnesium,
ammonium, or sodium sulfites. Principal
products include tissue papers, fine papers,
newsprint, and market pulp.
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Semi-Chemical (Subpart F)
- Includes production of pulp from wood chips
under pressure using a variety of cooking
liquors, including, but not limited to, neutral
sulfite semi-chemical (NSSC) sulfur free
(sodium carbonate), green liquor, and
Permachem. The cooked chips are usually
mechanically refined. Pulp is produced with or
without bleaching. Principal products include
corrugating medium, paper, and paperboard.
Production of both semi-chemical wood pulp
and unbleached kraft wood pulp at the same
site using a cross-recovery system is included
in the unbleached kraft subcategory.
Mechanical Pulp (Subpart G)
- Includes production of stone groundwood,
refiner mechanical, thermo-mechanical, chemi-
mechanical, and chemi-thermo-mechanical
pulps. Mechanical pulps are produced using
mechanical defibration by either stone grinders
or steel refiners. Thermo-mechanical pulp is
produced using steam followed by mechanical
defibration in refiners. Chemi-mechanical pulp
is produced using a chemical cooking liquor to
partially cook the wood. The softened wood
fibers are further processed by mechanical
defibration using refiners. Chemi-thermo-
mechanical pulp is produced using steam
followed by chemical cooking and mechanical
defibration in refiners. Principal products
include market pulp, newsprint, coarse papers,
tissue, molded fiber products and fine papers,
which include business, writing, and printing
papers.
During the development of the proposed
regulations, EPA frequently referred to
Subpart G as the "Groundwood, Chemi-
Mechanical, and Chemi-Thermo-Mechanical
Subcategory." EPA changed the name of
Subpart G to "Mechanical Pulp" because it
characterizes the subcategory more correctly.
Non-Wood Chemical Pulp (Subpart H)
- Includes production of non-wood pulps from
chemical pulping processes such as kraft,
sulfite, or soda. Fiber furnishes include textiles
(rags), cotton (inters, flax, hernp, bagasse,
tobacco, and abaca. Principal products include
market pulp, cigarette plug wrap paper, and
other specialty paper products.
Secondary Fiber Delnk (Subpart I)
-- Includes production of deinked pulps from
wastepapers using a chemical or solvent
process to remove contaminants such as inks,
coatings, and pigments. Deinked pulp is usually
brightened or bleached. Principal products
include printing, writing, and business papers,
tissue papers, newsprint, and deinked market
pulp.
Secondary Fiber Non-Delnk (Subpart J)
- Includes production of pulps from
wastepaper without deinking. Pulp is
produced with or without brightening.
Principal products include tissue, paperboard,
molded products, and construction papers.
Construction papers may be produced from
cellulosic fibers derived from wastepaper,
wood flour and sawdust, wood chips, and
rags.
Fine and Lightweight Papers
from Purchased Pulp (Subpart K)
-- Includes production of fine and lightweight
papers produced from purchased virgin pulps
or secondary fiber. Principal products include
clay coated printing and converted paper,
unco at ed free sheet, cotton fiber writing paper
and thin paper, and lightweight electrical
papers.
Tissue, Filter, Non-Woven, and Paperboard
from Purchased Pulp (Subpart L)
- Includes production of paperboard, tissue
papers, filter papers, and non-woven items
from purchased virgin pulps or secondary
fiber.
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