Is there any impact on digester operations or pulp yield?
No negative impact is expected on digester operations. On the contrary, previous laboratory studies have shown some yield gain especially for softwood kraft pulping when borate is added to the liquor at partial autocausticizing capacities. While in some laboratory results, the yield gain was 1-2%, other results showed only 0.3-0.5% increase in yield which is quite hard to quantify during mill applications. Other laboratory studies of hardwood kraft pulping showed potentials for decreasing the alkali charged at the digesters with no change in pulp yield and final kappa number.
