Journal Article

Synergistic cell-free enzyme cocktails for enhanced fiber matrix development: improving dewatering, strength, and decarbonization in the paper industry

Pal, Lokendra, Venditti, Richard, Barrios, Nelson, Gonzalez, María

2025

Overview

Background The pulp and paper industry is under increasing pressure to adopt sustainable solutions that address its substantial energy consumption and environmental impact. One of the most energy-intensive operations is the thermal drying, which presents significant opportunities for efficiency improvements. This study evaluates a cell-free mild enzyme pretreatment, utilizing a cocktail of cellulases and xylanases, combined with cationic starch, to enhance dewatering efficiency and improve paper strength utilizing bleached hardwood pulp fibers. Life cycle and economic analysis were also conducted to quantify the environmental impact and economic benefits, with a particular focus on direct greenhouse gas emissions. Enhanced water removal during pressing can significantly reduce energy consumption during thermal drying, facilitating the decarbonization of the paper industry. Results The cell-free enzyme pretreatment, applied with mild refining and cationic starch, achieved significant improvements in dewatering efficiency and paper strength. The treatment led to an 11% point increase in solids and a 25% improvement in tensile strength. Morphological analyses revealed no changes in fiber length and width; however, reductions in kink and curl indexes indicated enhanced fiber flexibility and bonding potential. Furthermore, the enzyme–starch combination decreased water retention value by 27%, including substantial reductions in bound and hard-to-remove water content. Environmental assessments estimated a 12% reduction in global warming potential (GWP), with the technology yielding net savings of $11.29 per air-dried ton of paper through reduced natural gas consumption. Conclusions This study demonstrates the technical feasibility and economic viability of incorporating enzyme and cationic starch treatments into papermaking. The treatment improves paper quality while reducing energy consumption, costs, and carbon emissions. These findings support the broader adoption of enzyme-based innovations for sustainable manufacturing, aligning with decarbonization goals and industry demands for greater efficiency. The results highlight a promising avenue for achieving significant environmental and economic benefits in the pulp and paper sector. Graphical Abstract

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Nature Publishing Group,BMC
• Subject: air drying / biofuels / Biotechnology / Bleaching / carbon / Cationic polymers / Cations / Cell-free enzymes / Cellulase / cellulases / Cellulose / Cellulose fibers / Chemical oxygen demand / Chemical properties / Chemistry / Chemistry and Materials Science / Climate change / Cost control / Decarbonization / Dewatering / Drying / Economic analysis / economic sustainability / Economics / Efficiency / Emissions / energy / Energy consumption / Energy costs / Energy management systems / Energy sustainability / Environmental aspects / Environmental assessment / Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology / Environmental impact / Environmental sustainability / Enzymes / Feasibility studies / Global warming / Greenhouse gas emissions / Greenhouse gases / hardwood / Hardwoods / Lignin / Methods / Microbiology / Moisture content / Natural gas / Paper industry / Papermaking / Phase transitions / Plant Breeding/Biotechnology / Plant fibers / Pretreatment / Production management / Production processes / pulp / Pulp & paper industry / pulp and paper industry / Renewable and Green Energy / Retention / Starch / Sustainable production / Technology assessment / Tensile strength / Water / Water content / Wood pulp / xylanases