Refiner plate elements for a conical mechanical refiner include: a rotor plate element including at least one rotor plate segment having a feedstock inlet opening disposed at a first end of the rotor plate segment; and a rotor plate segment refining area disposed between the feedstock inlet opening and a second end of the rotor plate segment. The refiner plate elements may further include: a stator plate element including at least one stator plate segment having a stator plate segment refining area; and first and second attaching rails configured to couple to the stator plate segment to a stator support frame of the conical mechanical refiner. A separation between the first attaching rail and the second attaching rail that is not covered by the stator plate segment is configured to form a feedstock outlet opening.

Refiner plate elements for a conical mechanical refiner include: a rotor plate element including at least one rotor plate segment having a feedstock inlet opening disposed at a first end of the rotor plate segment; and a rotor plate segment refining area disposed between the feedstock inlet opening and a second end of the rotor plate segment. The refiner plate elements may further include: a stator plate element including at least one stator plate segment having a stator plate segment refining area; and first and second attaching rails configured to couple to the stator plate segment to a stator support frame of the conical mechanical refiner. A separation between the first attaching rail and the second attaching rail that is not covered by the stator plate segment is configured to form a feedstock outlet opening.

A blade segment (4, 8) for a refiner (1) for refining fibrous material has first (20) and second (21) end edges opposite one another in a direction of a longitudinal axis (LA) of the blade segment (4, 4a, 4b, 8, 8a, 8b), and first (22) and second (23) side edges which extend between the first end edge and the second end edge. The blade segment has a refining surface (5, 9) with blade bars (26) and grooves (27) therebetween on a front surface (25) of the blade segment (4, 8). At least one side edge (22, 23) has at least two edge portions (31, 33, 35, 41, 43, 45) arranged to deviate from the direction of the longitudinal axis (LA) of the blade segment (4, 4a, 4b, 8; 8a, 8b) and connected by an elbow (32, 34, 42, 44) between each two edge portions (31, 33, 35, 41, 43, 45).

Refiner plate elements for a conical mechanical refiner include: a rotor plate element including at least one rotor plate segment having a feedstock inlet opening disposed at a first end of the rotor plate segment; and a rotor plate segment refining area disposed between the feedstock inlet opening and a second end of the rotor plate segment. The refiner plate elements may further include: a stator plate element including at least one stator plate segment having a stator plate segment refining area; and first and second attaching rails configured to couple to the stator plate segment to a stator support frame of the conical mechanical refiner. A separation between the first attaching rail and the second attaching rail that is not covered by the stator plate segment is configured to form a feedstock outlet opening.

Refiner plate elements for a conical mechanical refiner include: a rotor plate element including at least one rotor plate segment having a feedstock inlet opening disposed at a first end of the rotor plate segment; and a rotor plate segment refining area disposed between the feedstock inlet opening and a second end of the rotor plate segment. The refiner plate elements may further include: a stator plate element including at least one stator plate segment having a stator plate segment refining area; and first and second attaching rails configured to couple to the stator plate segment to a stator support frame of the conical mechanical refiner. A separation between the first attaching rail and the second attaching rail that is not covered by the stator plate segment is configured to form a feedstock outlet opening.

Conical inlet refiner elements for a mechanical refiner include: a conical stator element disposed between a feedstock inlet to the mechanical refiner and primary refining plates of the mechanical refiner; and a conical rotor element disposed between the feedstock inlet to the mechanical refiner and the primary refining plates, the conical rotor element configured to form an initial refining gap with the conical stator element. The conical stator element and the conical rotor element are configured to cause a radial change greater than zero but less than 90 degrees in a direction of an axial feedstock flow path through the initial refining gap at a feedstock inlet to a primary refining gap formed between the primary refining plates, where the primary refining gap formed between the primary refining plates lies in a plane that is approximately perpendicular to the axial feedstock flow path.

Conical inlet refiner elements for a mechanical refiner include: a conical stator element disposed between a feedstock inlet to the mechanical refiner and primary refining plates of the mechanical refiner; and a conical rotor element disposed between the feedstock inlet to the mechanical refiner and the primary refining plates, the conical rotor element configured to form an initial refining gap with the conical stator element. The conical stator element and the conical rotor element are configured to cause a radial change greater than zero but less than 90 degrees in a direction of an axial feedstock flow path through the initial refining gap at a feedstock inlet to a primary refining gap formed between the primary refining plates, where the primary refining gap formed between the primary refining plates lies in a plane that is approximately perpendicular to the axial feedstock flow path.

There is provided a method of producing a highly refined pulp, comprising the steps of: providing a pulp; subjecting the pulp to a first conical refining step in at least one conical refiner comprising refining plates having a bar width of 0.5-1.5 mm, such as about 1.0 mm, and a groove width of 1.0-2.0 mm, such as 1.4-2.0 mm, such as about 1.6 mm; and subjecting the pulp from the first conical refining step to a second conical refining step in at least one conical refiner comprising refining plates having a bar width of 0.5-1.5 mm, such as about 1.0 mm, and a groove width of 0.8-1.6 mm, such as 1.0-1.5 mm, to obtain the highly refined pulp.

There is provided a method of producing a highly refined pulp, comprising the steps of: providing a pulp; subjecting the pulp to a first conical refining step in at least one conical refiner comprising refining plates having a bar width of 0.5-1.5 mm, such as about 1.0 mm, and a groove width of 1.0-2.0 mm, such as 1.4-2.0 mm, such as about 1.6 mm; and subjecting the pulp from the first conical refining step to a second conical refining step in at least one conical refiner comprising refining plates having a bar width of 0.5-1.5 mm, such as about 1.0 mm, and a groove width of 0.8-1.6 mm, such as 1.0-1.5 mm, to obtain the highly refined pulp.

Refiner plate segments for a conical refiner may include a rotor plate segment having inlet openings disposed at one or more inlet locations on the rotor plate segment, and a stator plate segment having outlet openings disposed at one or more outlet locations on the stator plate segment. The rotor plate segment is disposed opposite the stator plate segment such that the one or more rotor plate segment refining areas and the one or more stator plate segment refining areas oppose each other, and the one or more inlet locations and the one or more outlet locations are separated by one or more refining zones formed by the rotor plate segment refining areas and the stator plate segment refining areas.