WestRock (United States)

Abstract Variability in fossil fuel prices and a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have driven the US pulp and paper (P&P) industry to adopt technologies that decrease reliance on fossil fuels. In this regard, enhancing energy efficiency is crucial to the decarbonization of the sector. This study evaluates several energy‐efficient alternatives for one of the main P&P products, linerboard, focusing on black liquor concentration, steam generation, and paper‐drying processes. The key technologies assessed include: (a) high‐efficiency recovery boilers and electric boilers as substitutes for natural gas, (b) graphene oxide (GO) nanofiltration membranes and mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) for black liquor concentration, and (c) advanced paper machine techniques like shoe presses, nylon mesh felts, and condebelt drying. Using process simulations in Windows‐based Generic Energy and Material System (WINGEMS), Life Cycle Assessment in OpenLCA, and financial modeling, the study found that GO membranes for black liquor and condebelt drying were the most effective, reducing emissions by 15%. High‐efficiency recovery boilers added another 10% reduction. Cost analysis showed that technologies like nylon felts, shoe presses, and MVR not only cut operational costs but achieved carbon reductions of up to 8%, with costs of avoided carbon (CAC) ranging from −$67 and −$19 per metric tonne of CO 2 ‐eq. avoided. In contrast, GO membranes and recovery boilers had higher CAC values, from $237 to $392 per metric tonne. The findings suggest that the benefits of MVR, GO membranes, electric boilers, and condebelt drying increase with greater renewable energy use in the US grid, highlighting the decarbonization potential of electrifying the pulp and paper sector.

Over the past few decades, the electrical manufacturing industry has leveraged advances in both materials and manufacturing technologies to provide cables and cable accessories for medium voltage cable systems that are more cost effective and reliable. The reliability is designed in and tested as part of the manufacturing quality control process which is based on stringent IEEE and ICEA standards. However, once these components leave the factory, the reliability is left to the quality level of the handling, installation, and operation of these components. The industry has learned much in the last few decades about the physics behind cable reliability and longevity, and we no longer need to guess at the failure mechanism or the best practices for product selection, system design, installation techniques, commissioning tests, operations and maintenance or timing of asset replacement. Pulp and Paper mills have several critical areas in their operation including wood handling, chipping, pulping, pumping and conveyors, to name a few, which warrant continuous monitoring, cleaning, and are typically the focus of plant maintenance shutdowns. However, the medium voltage power distribution and electrification of these systems is undoubtedly a critical underlying asset to all areas of the plant. It is the purpose of this paper to provide best practices to assess and maintain the reliability of these medium voltage cable systems throughout their lifecycle.

Alkenyl Succinic Anhydride (ASA) is a sizing agent used in papermaking to increase the water repellency of paper. Almost 60 years after the introduction of the chemical in papermaking, scientists still have differing views on how ASA interacts with cellulose. Several experiments were conducted to bring more clarity to the ASA sizing mechanism, especially on the contentious question of ASA-cellulose covalent bonding or the esterification reaction between ASA and cellulose during papermaking. Herein, research papers and patents, including experiments and results, from the1960’s to 2020 were reviewed. Our investigation revealed that the ester bond formation between ASA and cellulose is insignificant and is not a prerequisite for sizing effectiveness; the main ASA related material found in sized paper is hydrolyzed ASA or both hydrolyzed ASA and ASA salt. In addition, ASA emulsion stability and ASA emulsion retention are important for sizing efficiency improvement.

As the automotive industry has been striving to enhance its efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability, great focus is often placed on opportunities for improving its supply chain operations. We study the effect of introducing multiple modes of transportation in an industry-motivated production and transportation problem involving short-term automotive supply chain planning. We consider multiple, heterogeneous modes of transportation that offer a cost vs. delivery time option to the manufacturer. Having multiple modes of transportation in the system promotes supply chain sustainability. We present an integer linear programming model that captures the availability of multiple transportation modes. We then provide a solution approach based on a hybrid simulated annealing algorithm that we use to analyze the problem. Experimental results demonstrate the impact of additional transportation mode lead times compared to costs in the integrated supply chain.