Advanced chemical pulping aids can be added to the pulping process to increase liquor penetration and promote more even cooking. Pulping aids can help increase pulp yields and lead to reduced energy consumption per ton of pulp, reduce raw material inputs, and improve productivity. They can also help reduce pulp rejects and use of bleaching chemicals. The financial viability of this measure is typically determined by comparing the costs of chemicals to the projected fiber savings. Anthraquinone compounds are commonly used as chemical pulping aids, but new alternatives are emerging (Kramer et al., 2009. p.90).

In US DOE supported applications, the use of a chemical called ChemStone OAE-11 has shown to reduce energy consumption, while also increasing yields (2 to 5% per ton of wood), and reducing pulp rejects, use bleaching chemicals and sulphur based emissions. Another pulp aid, phosphonate, is shown to increase lignin removal, improve yield – by 4 to 6% – and bleach brightness, and conserve pulp viscosity, and reduce pulping chemical usage (Kramer et al., 2009. p.90).