Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1967-2021 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1.2m of textual records [3 banker boxes]
approx. 100 technical drawings
approx. 271 slides
1 photo album
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
In 1967, Professor Howard Rapson of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, outlined the Effluent-Free Mill (EFM) and Salt Recovery Process (SRP). This technology aimed to facilitate the elimination of effluent from bleached kraft pulp mills by using the wastewater from pulp bleaching in the chemical recovery cycle whereby the organics would be destroyed in the kraft recovery boiler and spent bleaching chemical (sodium chloride) would be removed from the collected recovery boiler flue gas dust.
In recognition of the commercial potential of the EFM and SRP technology, a joint venture company, ERCO Envirotech Ltd., was formed in 1972 between ERCO, a Canadian chemical company supplying chemicals and equipment for pulp bleaching and Envirotech, an American company manufacturing equipment suitable for the SRP. In 1974, ERCO Envirotech Ltd. presented a proposal to Great Lakes Paper Company in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Great Lakes agreed to the proposal and integration of EFM and SRP technology into the design of the mill began.
Professor Douglas W. Reeve of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto collaborated with ERCO Envirotech Ltd. and the Great Lakes Paper Company as the lead process engineer for the EFM and SRP during the process pilot plant development, mill design, mill construction and the extended start up. The mill, also referred to as Closed Cycle Mill, started up in late 1976 and the SRP in March of 1977. The Closed Cycle Mill faced many operational challenges in bleaching, in bleach plant effluent recovery, in salt recovery and in the recovery boiler. Ultimately, owing to poor environmental performance, high costs, and poor reliability, Closed Cycle operation was shutdown.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Dr. Reeve is Professor Emeritus in the University of Toronto, Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry. He served as Department Chair from 2001 until 2011 and as the founding Director of the Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (Troost ILead) from 2010 until 2018. He was also the founding Director of the University of Toronto Pulp & Paper Centre serving from 1987 until 2001.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Material transferred directly from the creator and/or collector, Prof. Douglas W. Reeve.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records document the implementation Effluent-Free Mill (EFM) and Salt Recovery Process (SRP) by ERCO Envirotech Ltd. at the Great Lakes Paper Company in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Records were compiled by Prof. Douglas W. Reeve, the lead process engineer for the Effluent-Free Mill (EFM) and Salt Recovery Process (SRP) technology during the process pilot plant development, mill design, mill construction and the extended start up. Records include ERCO Envirotech Ltd. technical communications, published articles, photographs, drawings, etc. Material includes bound copied correspondence, proposals, technical reports, manuals, engineering drawings and original photographs. It covers the construction of the facility, research and development, and the ongoing communications around the process.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Due to this fonds’ limited material, a series-level arrangement was not applied. Files reflect Prof. Douglas W. Reeve’s original arrangement.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open
Conditions governing reproduction
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Script of material
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Finding aids
Uploaded finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
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Notes area
Note
Descriptions for this fonds reference The Effluent-free Mill and Salt Recovery Process Archive Project by Douglas W. Reeve [See file B2022-0036/003(11) in appendix].
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Created by Daniela Ansovini and Nourane Abdelshafy, 2025.
Added to AtoM by Nourane Abdelshafy, 2025.