Pollution Abatement by Fiber Modification

University of Washington. Institute of Forest Products · Graham G. Allan · United States. Environmental Protection Agency

Jan 1971 · Environmental Protection Agency, Research and Monitoring

About this ebook

The research goal undertaken was to develop systems capable of abating the pollution resulting from the discharge of lignosulfonates or bleach plant effluent by finding a suitable use for these pollutants. It was desired to devise procedures for the attachment of lignosulfonates or other lignin-derived pollutants to wood or pulp fibers to create useful fiber-polymer composites. The plan was predicated upon the then unrecognized potential of fiber reactive dye chemistry as a general foundation for fiber modification. The report describes research to determine whether the chemistry developed for dyeing cotton was applicable to wood derived fibers of differing morphology and chemical composition. A typical dichloro-s-triazine fiber reactive dye was selected because of its availability and because after reaction it would still be expected to contain one reactive chlorine suitable for the attachment of pollutants. The dye was found to react with a wood-derived fibers suitable for the subsequent attachment of lignosulfonates or bleach plant effluents. The effects of various reaction conditions including pH and time, were investigated and are reported.