ABSTRACT
The use of enzymes in the pulp and paper industry has grown rapidly since the mid1980s. Increased understanding of the enzymatic reaction mechanisms on the fibre substrates has been the basis for development of powerful new enzyme preparations. The establishment of cost-effective production technologies of relevant enzymes has led to decreased enzyme prices. The enzymatic techniques are usually easily adoptable by the industry, and represent environmentally benign technologies. However, enzymatic methods must be able to compete with existing and other new technologies. Therefore, enzymatic methods are most applicable when performing reactions with higher specificity or with lower costs or environmental impacts than the competing technologies.
