Many chemical products used in various industries have inherent drawbacks from a commercial and environmental point of view. Nonspecific reactions may result in poor product yields or high consumption of chemicals and energy. In some cases there is a negative impact on the environment. Some of these drawbacks can be eliminated or reduced by using enzymes. Enzymes are biodegradable and work very well in a variety of applications. An enzyme works to catalyze a specific chemical reaction converting a raw material into a final product. In nature enzymes are essential to the biological processes in a sustainable environment. Over the last ten years the application of enzymes in the pulp and paper industry has increased dramatically. One of the strengths of enzymes is that they are very specific in their activities. But that specificity and the fragile structure of enzymes have also been obstacles for successful application in pulp and paper processes. With Buckman's efforts in the advancements in enzyme development and product formulation; enzyme technology in the pulp and paper industry is now an established practice. Many new applications are being developed. More than twenty years ago the use of amylases for modification of starch, and the use of xylanases to reduce the consumption of bleach chemicals were introduced into the pulp and paper market. These applications were followed by the use of enzymes for pitch control, stickies control and deinking applications. More recently cellulases for improving fiber characteristics have become an integral part of the chemical solutions used in the paper mills. This paper will cover several applications that have proven effective in the packaging industry, allowing the mills to reduce their environmental impact, improve the runnability of their operations and add profitability to the bottom line.
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