Greener Paper Bleaching With Liquid Oxygen In The GTA

Chlorine has often been used to bleach wood pulp to eventually make the white paper we use to print, write on and draw on. However, in the last decade, more and more studies have shown the environmental risks of using chlorine bleach not only on the environment but the workers who perform the bleaching. Bleaching pulp with liquid oxygen is not only safer for workers, but it is better for the environment, too. With the help of liquid oxygen in the GTA, many mills are moving towards being elemental chlorine free (ECF) and total chlorine free (TCF).

Environmentally Friendly

Pulp needs to be whitened or bleached before it can be turned into paper. All color variations and discolorations need to be removed to create a uniform pulp. Liquid oxygen bleaches the pulp, but unlike chlorine, the pulp waste is safe to recycle into the system and use again. This is because liquid oxygen releases oxygen when it makes contact with the pulp, leaving behind whitened pulp and biodegradable byproducts.

Worker Friendly

Studies have shown that regular exposure to chlorine bleach can cause asthma-like symptoms, even in the small amounts we use in our homes. Imagine how much a paper mill worker is exposed to? Using liquid oxygen in the GTA can make working conditions safer for paper mill employees and for the people living near the mill itself.

Budget Friendly 

Not only is liquid oxygen better for workers and an environmentally safe choice, but it’s also more cost-effective than chlorine. It’s less expensive to buy in the long run, and it’s less expensive to use. It costs less to process, its by-products can be recycled, and it’s less toxic than chlorine, so it needs less equipment and protective gear to handle it.

Liquid Oxygen Still Needs To Be Handled With Care

Even though it’s safer than chlorine, liquid oxygen still needs to be handled with care. Follow our helpful safety tips to handling, using and transporting liquid oxygen safely.

Is Your Looking Mill Looking To Go ECF Or TCF? Josef Gas Can Help

Josef Gas is your one-stop site for welding equipment, job site heat, forklift propane and liquid oxygen in the GTA and beyond. Contact us for more information on how to make your paper production more budget friendly, worker friendly and an environmentally friendlier project.