TMP optimization using multivariate analysis [thermo-mechanical pulp mill]

A new thermo-mechanical pulp (TMP) mill refiner installation was optimized for quality parameters. The mill was state of the art and, despite having the most modern process equipment, was not able to meet the quality requirements without undergoing a deliberate optimization effort. The quality improvement results were not obtained from a single solution but by incremental changes and methodical testing. A variety of techniques were used to achieve the results in a timely and cost effective manner.