Tall oil production as a side reaction of pulping
Tall oil production is the procedure of extracting tall oil from wood processing through the kraft process used in the wood pulp and paper industry. In the course of our pulp production, we yield CTO as a bioproduct from a side reaction of wood chips and hot solvents. First, in fibre line, the wood chips are treated with a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium sulfide (Na2S) to free the cellulose fibres from lignin. The spent mixture of liquid, also known as black liquor containing the dissolved lignin and tall oil, is processed through combustion in a recovery boiler. In this recovery line, the generated heat and steam is used in renewable energy generation as part of our bioenergy production. The recovered tall oil can then be further processed into a variety of fractions and can be refined to remove impurities.
Tall oil is a complex mixture of byproducts from pulping process including fractions of fatty acids and rosin acids, a compound that is obtained from natural rosin extracted from pine trees. Our customers divide our tall oil into four distinct components for use in different industries and end use applications:
- Tall oil fatty acids (TOFA)
- Tall oil rosins (TOR)
- Sterols
- Pitch oil and its derivates
Metsä CTO is typically used as a raw material in many industrial applications such as production of adhesives, rubbers, paints, inks and biofuels. It is also used as a binder agent in cement and asphalt, and even in animal feed.
Typical end uses of crude tall oil:
- Concrete
- Fuel
- Lubricants
- Asphalt
- Paints
- Car tyres
- Adhesives
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- Printing ink
- Paper and board coatings
- Tapes and adhesives for stickers
- Margarine (emulsifiers)
- Animal feed
- Detergents and cleaners
- Soap
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Tall oil replacing fossil-based materials
Metsä CTO is a renewable component and has remarkably low carbon emissions. In contrast to many other bio-based raw materials, trees do not require separate land area or take agricultural land away from food production. Forests and wood-based products have the unique ability to bind and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which makes wood-based Metsä CTO and its derivatives, a competitive sustainable alternative in the biochemical industry. Due to its ability to replace the fossil-based products such as petroleum-based solvents, surfactants, synthetic resins, and fuel additives in many manufacturing processes, our crude tall oil has great potential.
By sustainable forest management and responsible production, Metsä Fibre uses wood raw material resources in a sustainable way. We contribute to the European Union’s circular economy goals, as well as to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
