Saiccor - The First 50 Years 5.8 MB - Sappi

The Cantacuzene Period (1952–1965)
discharge of effluent into the sea at the river mouth commenced on
11 August and the foam was of some concern to the local authorities�
By this time, 27 white South Africans had been employed – there
were language problems�
Saiccor factory, 1956
SO Recovery was in operation from the end of November and in
2
December 1955 the first rayon pulp acceptable to SNIA was made�
(Courtaulds were unhappy with the quality and would not accept
the pulp�) SNIA and Courtaulds officially accepted 1 December 1955
as the date of commencement of
production�
In the Saiccor process wood chips are
‘cooked’ with calcium bisulphite liquor in a
digester (like a large domestic pressure
cooker), at high temperature and pressure to
dissolve most of the lignin in the wood� The
liquor is made by burning sulphur and
reacting the resultant sulphur dioxide with
a limestone slurry� After cooking, the spent
cooking liquor is washed out of the pulp�
Knots and uncooked pieces of wood are then
screened out before the pulp is bleached�
After bleaching the pulp is screened again
and then dried, cut into sheets and baled� Third floor digesters
19