Kraft delignification of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) wood meal was carried out under an instantaneous isothermal condition with a liquor-to-wood ratio of 50 to investigate the effects of reaction temperature and chemical concentration on the rate of delignification. The temperatures studied were in the range of 120 to 175#xB0;C. Three levels of HO#x2212;l and three levels of HS#x2212;l concentrations were investigated. In each case an efficient mechanical agitation of the pulping liquor was maintained and the delignification was extended to reach its completion. Using a nonlinear regression analysis on the delignification results, a single kinetics equation was resolved to describe the effect of temperature and chemical concentration on the rates of delignification for the initial, bulk, and final phases. This equation also revealed that the amounts of lignin removed due to the chemical reactions in the initial, bulk, and final phases were 18.8, 71.4, and 3.8, respectively. About 6 of the total lignin was dissolved into the pulping solution before any significant chemical reaction occurred to the lignin core. The activation energies of delignification reactions in the initial, bulk, and final phases were 85.8, 123.8, and 110.0 kJ/mole, respectively. The Ln(pre-exponential factors) were 22.5, 30.5, and 23.4 m#x2212;l1for the initial, bulk, and final phases, respectively. The rate of delignification was strongly affected by the presence of HO#x2212;l in the bulk and final phases. Whereas, HS#x2212;l had a significant effect on the rate of delignification only in the bulk phase. These chemical effects were also quantified.
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