PROCESS FOR REFINING CHEMICALS FROM PULP AND PAPER MILL WASTEWATERS

摘要

A process for isolating at least one target compound, such as manool, geranyl linalool, ethyl guaiacol, eugenol, veratraldehyde, squalene, terpin, cholesterol, beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, stigmastenol and dehydroabietic acid, from biomass, the process including steps of: obtaining a condensate from a recovery evaporator, a reverse osmosis retentate of a condensate of a pulp and paper mill, or both, the condensate, retentate or both being substantially free of higher molecular weight (approximately >1000 Da) cellulose and/or lignin and/or lignin-derived material; optionally pH adjusting and filtering the condensate to collect insoluble material; extracting the condensate, the collected insoluble material, or both, with solid phase extraction (SPE), liquid-liquid extraction or solid-liquid extraction to produce an extract containing the at least one target compound; and optionally purifying the extract containing the at least one target compound by thermal fractionation, chromatographic separation, recrystallization ion exchange, chelation, adsorption/desorption, lyophilization and sublimation or combinations thereof. The method is particularly useful for isolating the target compounds from wastewaters produced in a kraft pulp and paper mill, especially from recovery evaporator condensates produced during the treatment of black liquor.