Nouraldin examined the wood raw material

“I investigated how different types of wood behave during sulphate pulping in my thesis. I studied spruce and lodgepole pine. Since raw material from the forest naturally varies in quality, it is valuable to understand how, for example, fresh, dried, or decay-affected wood influences yield and its response in the cooking process,” says Nouraldin Al Ali.

Thesis students are an important part of the R&D Centre

R&D Centre is used to welcoming thesis students. It is one of several important parts of SCA’s contacts with universities and colleges in the field of research and development. During his thesis work, Nouraldin was supported by two supervisors, a senior research specialist and a laboratory engineer. The project also provided opportunities to collaborate with several employees within R&D Centre.

“The results from Nouraldin’s studies have given us more knowledge about this area. These were structured tests with many repetitions, which increases confidence in the results. It is important to gain more knowledge about how raw material quality can affect, for example, chemical consumption and resource efficiency. It can also provide facts that are important for valuing the raw material,” says Maria Boman, senior research specialist at R&D Centre.

In addition to testing and evaluating products as part of his thesis work, Nouraldin take several experiences from his time at R&D Centre.

“I have learned a lot about how raw material quality affects the pulp process and how laboratory experiments can be linked to industrial questions. The collaboration with R&D Centre has also given me a better understanding of how research, analysis, and practical process knowledge are used together to develop and optimize production. It has also been very educational to work in a team, discuss results, and solve problems in a structured way,” says Nouraldin.