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Whitewater Challenge

Paper machine white water contains fibres, fines, fillers, and dissolved organics. This water is typically recirculated, but excess must be treated for discharge or further processing. Effective treatment enables water reuse and fibre recovery.

Fibre Content

White water contains short fibres and fines that can be recovered and returned to the stock preparation system, reducing raw material costs.

Recovery: 0.5-2% fibre

Fillers & Additives

Calcium carbonate, clay, and other fillers along with sizing agents and dyes create treatment challenges requiring specialised processes.

Content: 1-5% solids

Dissolved Organics

Dissolved and colloidal substances (DCS) including hemicellulose, lignin, and extractives affect water quality and must be managed.

Challenge: COD 500-2000 mg/L

Water Balance

Excess white water must be treated to maintain mill water balance and prevent buildup of dissolved and suspended solids.

Goal: 90%+ water reuse

Treatment Solutions

Our whitewater treatment systems include dissolved air flotation (DAF) for fibre and solids removal, and clarification for water polishing. These systems produce clean water for reuse while recovering valuable fibre.

DAF Flotation

Dissolved air flotation effectively removes fibres, fines, and fillers from white water with high capture efficiency and low energy consumption.

Removal: >95% TSS

LAMELLA Clarifiers

High-rate clarification for white water polishing, achieving low suspended solids in a compact footprint ideal for mill environments.

Capacity: 25 m³/m²/h

Curved Screens

Static curved screens provide primary fibre recovery with no moving parts, offering simple and reliable operation for mill applications.

Slot: 0.25-2 mm

Self-Cleaning Filters

Automatic backwash filtration for final polishing of white water, protecting downstream equipment and ensuring consistent water quality.

Filtration: 50-500 micron

Screw Press

Mechanical dewatering of recovered fibre sludge to 18-22% dry solids, reducing volume for return to stock preparation or disposal.

Cake: 18-22% solids

Process Control

Integrated automation with mill DCS for seamless operation, real-time monitoring, and optimised chemical dosing control.

Feature: DCS integration

Water Reuse Benefits

Treated whitewater can be reused in stock preparation, cleaning, and other mill applications. This reduces freshwater consumption, lowers effluent volumes, and supports sustainability goals.

Freshwater Reduction

Closed-loop white water systems can reduce freshwater intake by 70-90%, significantly lowering water requirements and environmental impact.

Saving: 70-90% water

Fibre Recovery Value

Recovering fibres from white water can return 0.5-2% of production volume to the process, providing significant raw material benefits.

Value: -200k/year

Effluent Reduction

Minimising white water discharge reduces effluent treatment loads and helps meet environmental discharge permits.

Reduction: 60-80% volume

Sustainability Goals

Water reuse supports corporate sustainability initiatives and helps achieve certifications like EU Ecolabel and FSC chain of custody.

Benefit: Green credentials

Reduced freshwater consumption
Lower effluent treatment costs
Recovery of valuable fibre
Improved water system stability
Reduced chemical consumption
Enhanced environmental compliance

Related Applications

Explore our complete range of pulp and paper water treatment solutions.

Fibre Recovery

Systems for recovering valuable fibres from mill process water streams.

Explore Pulp Fibre Recovery

Effluent Clarification

Clarification systems for mill wastewater discharge compliance.

Explore Effluent Clarification

DAF Systems

Dissolved air flotation for solids removal and fibre recovery.

View DAF Unit Details

Containerised Plants

Pre-engineered systems for rapid deployment and mill upgrades.

Explore Containerised Systems

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