Treatment of egyptian wastepaper using flotation technique for recovery of fillers and minerals

Abstract

Wastepaper is one of the largest constituent of municipal solid waste which has become a severe problem for disposal in developed and developing countries. Using wastepaper as a feedstock for bioethanol production would be of great interest. Bioethanol is a possible substitute for nonrenewable fossil fuels. It is expected that, by 2040, Biofuels’ contribution to the world’s energy demands will be as much as 75% due to the depletion of fossil fuels. The Egyptian wastepaper content has filler minerals and ink as much as 30% by weight. The filler minerals and ink inhibit the enzyme hydrolysis into fermentable sugars and in turn, cause inefficient bioethanol production. This work aims at studying the treatment of Egyptian wastepaper using pulping and flotation processes in order to separate ink and mineral fillers prior to bioethanol production. Flotation results were evaluated using Central Composite Design. The flotation of pulped wastepaper using octylhydroxamic acid collector resulted in an efficient recovery of filler minerals as well as the regeneration of cellulose-rich fiber.