Ozone bleaching of cellulose

Abstract

In this study, ozone treatment has been investigated in seeking of a more environmentally friendly alternative process for bleaching of cellulosic fibers. The primary advantage of ozone treatment is reduced environmental impact especially in case of chemical oxygen demand (COD) values of the process effluent. The highly oxidative ozone gas substitutes conventional harsh chemicals and decomposes back to oxygen owing to its limited half-life. Hence, ozone treatment seems as a good alternative for oxidative bleaching purposes of cellulose.