New pulp digester inaugurated at the Institute for Plant and Wood Chemistry

In the presence of the Minister of State for Regional Development, Thomas Schmidt, the new pulp digester system was inaugurated this week at the Institute for Plant and Wood Chemistry in Tharandt. After a development and construction period of 15 months, the scientists can now research various processing methods of wood and other plant raw materials and residues such as straw, hemp and elephant grass in order to obtain very special basic materials of the bioeconomy. Application examples include fibers from hemp shives or chemically modified and then highly compressed wood for various wood-based materials, e.g. the construction industry.

Institute director Prof. Steffen Fischer describes the advantages of the plant that has now been put into operation: “Not only the different digestion methods with improved process monitoring and control are new. We can now also actively control the process of cooling after digestion. With two containers with volumes of 5 and 30 liters, respectively, we have the opportunity to conduct research from individual laboratory tests to those close to practice.”

© TUD / Jörg Ullrich, Mandy Arndt

But not only the facility is special. Their development itself was also unique. In intensive exchange with the scientists, the company TAF GmbH from Freiberg planned and built the system piece by piece. The technicians have integrated the new cooker into the laboratory space with an exact fit. "It was precision work," confirms TAF Managing Director Jonas Kappeller.

The pulp digester, which cost around 1.12 million euros, was financed with funds from the European Union (European Fund for Regional Development) and the Free State of Saxony.

Background:
Bioeconomy and the tree: https://eustafor.eu/what-a-tree-can-do/. An overview of what can be made from the components of a tree.

Contact:
Prof. Steffen Fischer
Institute of Plant and Wood Chemistry
0351/463-31239