Biokraft pulping of European black pine with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora

European black pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) chips were treated with the white-rot fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora for periods ranging from 20 to 100 days. The effects of pretreatment on the chemical composition of wood and kraft pulping were investigated. The results showed that fungal pretreatment reduced the lignin and extractive content of wood chips. Also, weight losses occurred. Kappa number, viscosity, and reject ratio of biokraft pulps decreased. Biokraft pulps gave better response to beating, which led to significant energy saving during refining. The tear index, burst index, and tensile index of biokraft pulps were found to be lower than those of kraft pulps. However, the tensile index and burst index of 20-day biotreated and unbeaten pulp was higher than those of kraft pulp. Also, the tear index of 20-day biotreated and beaten pulp was higher than that of kraft pulp. The brightness of biokraft pulps decreased irregularly with increasing incubation time. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd