CHARACTERIZATION OF THERMOMECHANICAL PULP MADE FROM PINE TREES INFECTED WITH NEMATODES

Pine wilt is a lethal disease caused by the nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. It causes tree death by blocking water and nutrient uptake in pine trees. Pine trees infected by these nematodes are used as fertilizer or fuel for thermal power plants, but their utilization is still only about 37%. To increase the uti-lization of the infected trees, this study investigated whether the shredded wood chips prepared from them could be used as raw materials for manufacturing thermomechanical pulp (TMP) and chemithermomechan-ical pulp (CTMP). TMP and CTMP prepared from the infected pine chips showed fewer pitch contents and better strength properties than those made from domestic pine. After refining, the infected chip could reduce the sacrifice of fiber length more than the normal chip, and there was no remarkable difference between the two chips in terms of optical properties.