OCC – Pulping

OCC plants convert recycled old corrugated containers into pulp that can be used on paper and board machines to make valuable pulp and paper products. This course describes the “repulping” process which converts unpacked OCC bales into a pulp slurry using a repulper.

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Course Details

Learning Objectives

• Describe the purpose of repulpers in OCC plants
• List safety hazards and safety guidelines associated with repulpers
• List the process steps for OCC repulping
• Identify and describe major components of repulpers
• Identify and describe primary process flows

Specs

Course Level Intermediate
Languages English, Portuguese, Spanish
Compatibility Audio, Video
Based on: Industry Standards and Best Practices

Author

Vector Solutions

With over two decades of experience designing advanced 3D animated courseware and developing our proprietary learning management software, we pride ourselves by having developed over 1,000 safety and operations training modules, which have helped train over 250,000 workers worldwide. Our highly experienced team provides the industry with a simple and high-quality means of training their workforce. Whether your team consists of 25 people or an enterprise with thousands, we’re here to help.

Key Questions

What are the components of a repulper?
A typical OCC repulper consists of a vat, a rotor, an extraction plate, pumps, a junk trap and a ragger.

What range of pulp consistency is used in repulpers?
There are different repulper types. Low consistency repulpers operate at consistencies below 6%, medium consistency is 6-12%, and high consistency repulpers operate from 12-19%.

What is the difference between batch and continuous repulpers?
In batch repulpers, the addition of OCC and water, slushing, diluting, and dumping are completed in a series of steps. Because continuous repulpers operate continuously they have a higher capacity because they don’t need to stop to fill or dump.

What is the purpose of the rotor?
A repulper rotor has two major purposes: to agitate the fiber-water slurry, and to keep the extraction plate mounted under the rotor clear.

What is the purpose of a junk trap or ragger?
The junk trap and ragger remove large contaminants from the repulper vat and protect downstream equipment from damage and wear.

Sample Video Transcript

A typical OCC repulper consists of a vat, rotor inside the vat, one or more pumps each with an extraction plate, a junk trap, and a ragger. The OCC bales are typically fed into the repulper vat by a conveyor system along with a measured amount of dilution water. The rotor positioned at the bottom or side of the vat is used to break up the OCC into separate fibers suspended in the water. The ragger and junk trap are used to collect and remove large contaminants from the top and bottom of the vat respectively, and the extraction plates are used to screen the slushed pulp as it exits the vat in order to protect downstream equipment. The OCC pulp is then pumped to the next process step.

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