Pulping and bleaching of partially CAD-deficient wood

"May 2002."Submitted to Journal of Wood Chemistry and Technology

Transcriptome profiling of Pinus radiata juvenile wood with contrasting stiffness identifies putative candidate genes involved in microfibril orientation and cell wall mechanics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mechanical properties of wood are largely determined by the orientation of cellulose microfibrils in secondary cell walls. Several genes and their allelic variants have previously been found to affect microfibril angle (MFA) and wood stiffness; however, the molecular mechanisms controlling microfibril orientation and mechanical strength are largely uncharacterised. In the present study, cDNA microarrays were used to compare gene expression in developing xylem with contrasting stiffness and MFA in juvenile <it>Pinus radiata </it>trees in order to gain further insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying microfibril orientation and cell wall mechanics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Juvenile radiata pine trees with higher stiffness (HS) had lower MFA in the earlywood and latewood of each ring compared to low stiffness (LS) trees. Approximately 3.4 to 14.5% out of 3, 320 xylem unigenes on cDNA microarrays were differentially regulated in juvenile wood with contrasting stiffness and MFA. Greater variation in MFA and stiffness was observed in earlywood compared to latewood, suggesting earlywood contributes most to differences in stiffness; however, 3-4 times more genes were differentially regulated in latewood than in earlywood. A total of 108 xylem unigenes were differentially regulated in juvenile wood with HS and LS in at least two seasons, including 43 unigenes with unknown functions. Many genes involved in cytoskeleton development and secondary wall formation (cellulose and lignin biosynthesis) were preferentially transcribed in wood with HS and low MFA. In contrast, several genes involved in cell division and primary wall synthesis were more abundantly transcribed in LS wood with high MFA.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Microarray expression profiles in <it>Pinus radiata </it>juvenile wood with contrasting stiffness has shed more light on the transcriptional control of microfibril orientation and the mechanical properties of wood. The identified candidate genes provide an invaluable resource for further gene function and association genetics studies aimed at deepening our understanding of cell wall biomechanics with a view to improving the mechanical properties of wood.</p

Bleach Plant Capital Reduction with Rapid DO Bleaching and Simplified (D/E/D) Stages

The objective of this work was to demonstrate the capabilities of a bleaching sequence that combined a short retention time initial chlorine dioxide stage, referred to as rapid D0, (D0R), with simplified bleaching stages, (D1/E/D2), that required only one final bleach washer. The test sequence DR(EPO)(D/E/D/) was compared to a control sequence, D(EPO)D, for both hardwood and softwood pulps. The capabilities of the DR(EPO)(D/E/D) sequence were successfully demonstrated. An existing three- or four-stage bleach plan can be converted to the more powerful DR(EPO)(D/E/D) sequence without the major capital cost of additional washers. The results from this study showed that the DR(EPO)(D/E/D) sequence can reach 85 brightness on SW with 2.8% total C1O2, while the control sequence, D(EPO)D, required 3.9% C1O2. There was a corresponding decrease in AOX for the test sequence. The strength of pulp bleached in the test sequence was similar to or slightly higher than the control. For the HW pu lp, the test sequence reached 88 brightness with 2.2% C1O2 compared to 3.3% C1O2 for the control. There was a corresponding decrease in AOX generation with the lower chemical requirements. The final viscosity and pulp strength for the test sequence on HW was significantly higher than the corresponding values for the control sequence