Conclusion

The use of biotechnology in the paper industry appears to be a very promising approach as an alternative (or as a complement) to traditional papermaking processes.

Biopulping and enzymatic treatments of wood chips can be used to facilitate chemical or mechanical pulping. Currently, the application of enzymatic treatments for the industrial-scale production of chemical pulp is limited to the use of xylanases and, to a lesser extent, lipases. Xylanase treatments are used for the pretreatment of unbleached pulp to improve its bleaching properties. Oxidative enzymes such as manganese peroxidase or laccase show promising potential but are still produced in small quantities and at costs that are not yet attractive enough to justify industrial application. Furthermore, the use of this type of enzyme requires precise process control and the use of an expensive and toxic...