Methods To Detect Organic Contaminants In Pulp and Fiber

Abstract

A method to detect organic contaminants in pulp and fiber is described which uses hydrophobic dyes, such as fluorescent dyes.

1 . A method to detect organic contaminants in pulp and fiber comprising obtaining a sample of the pulp and fiber, and contacting said sample with at least one hydrophobic dye, wherein said hydrophobic dye stains the organic contaminants present in said sample. 
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said hydrophobic dye is a fluorescent hydrophobic dye. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said hydrophobic dye is Morplas blue. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said hydrophobic dye is a luminescence hydrophobic dye. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said hydrophobic dye is an excitable hydrophobic dye. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pulp and fiber is not stained by said hydrophobic dye. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said organic contaminants have a size of 100 microns or less. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing organic contaminants having a size of greater than 100 microns prior to staining said sample. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring the amount of organic contaminants that have been stained in said sample. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said measuring is achieved with a fluorescence spectrometer, GFP illuminator, or stereomicroscope, or motic camera. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising analyzing said sample having organic contaminants stained with at least one hydrophobic dye by digital analysis using a computer program. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein organic contaminants comprise two or more different organic contaminants and said hydrophobic dye stains two or more different organic contaminants such that each organic contaminant emits a different color or shade color to distinguish organic contaminants from each other. 
   
   
       13 . A pulp and fiber sample comprising pulp and fiber and at least one organic contaminant stained by at least one hydrophobic dye. 
   
   
       14 . The pulp and fiber sample of  claim 13 , wherein said hydrophobic dye is a fluorescent hydrophobic dye.