Evaluation of various mechanical pulping processes for mature and juvenile loblolly pine in lightweight coated paper.

The article focuses on the study assessing several mechanical pulping processes for mature and juvenile loblolly pine in lightweight coated paper in the paper mill industry. The study has been undertaken to determine the mechanical pulping processes of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), aiming to explain the poor quality and low-value grades of the pulp as lightweight coated paper. Details and results show the inferior characteristic of loblolly pine to spruce in terms of sheet density, brightness ceiling and long fiber coarseness. To respond to the quality problems of all the loblolly pine mechanical pulps, the authors suggest the need for proper papermaking strategies for the reduction of the pulp's sheet surface roughness and pore size before coating.