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Quantification of hardwood black liquor contamination in pine black liquor, TAPPI Journal February 2024
ABSTRACT: The presence of hardwood black liquor contamination in pine black liquor can negatively impact brownstock washer and evaporator operation, as well as reduce soap separation and yield. It is also believed to negatively impact commercial kraft lignin production. It was desired to develop a method of quantitatively determining the amount of low-level hardwood liquor contamination in pine black liquor. A method employing pyrolysis-gas chromatography mass spectrometry (py-GCMS) was developed to perform the desired measurement. Laboratory cooks with carefully controlled blends of pine and hardwood chips were prepared, and the resulting liquor was measured using this technique. Additionally, samples of pine and hardwood black liquors were blended in known quantities and analyzed. All these samples were submitted as blind samples. The resulting analysis suggests the py-GCMS method was able to accurately determine the level of hardwood contamination between 1% to 10% hardwood liquor using a low-level calibration curve prepared with coniferyl alcohol and sinapyl alcohol as standards.
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The use of minerals in fiber-based packaging and pulp molding, TAPPI Journal January 2024
ABSTRACT: Minerals are widely used in the pulp and paper industry for aiding the processing, economics, and final quality of fiber-based products. Among these, calcium carbonate, talc, and kaolin are widely used as fillers, and these can have varying brightness, particle size distributions, and aspect ratios. For the molded fiber area, these minerals can raise the solids content of the pulp mixture and improve throughput and lower energy requirements for drying. Talc is also widely used as a process control agent, picking up pitch and stickies and improving productivity by lowering machine cleaning time.The replacement of single use plastic with fiber-based replacements is a global trend; however, it does come with some significant challenges, such as grease and moisture proofing. Previously, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used to provide functions such as water and grease repellency, but regulatory demands have seen its demise in the packaging industry. Therefore, water holdout is now generally achieved by addition of alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) sizing. Wax additives are being developed and tested as PFAS replacements for oil and grease resistance. Rather than strongly repelling lipids from the fiber surface, these PFAS alternatives restrict flow pathways and react with food oils to alter their flow characteristics to prevent penetration through the substrate. During studies incorporating both PFAS substitutes and minerals, no detrimental interactions were observed. This paper addresses the different needs of the molded fiber market by including mineral fillers in molded fiber articles and will be presented as a series of different case studies. In all studies, we show that the trends observed when mineral filler is added to molded fiber are broadly similar to those seen in conventional paper and paperboard applications. Mineral addition in all studies gave improvements in productivity and optical appearance. With its organophilic surface, hydrophobic talc had the additional advantage of pitch and sticky control, and although a small decrease in strength was always observed when filler was added, the final articles still retained sufficient strength for their particular application. This small strength reduction should be balanced against the productivity gains.
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Alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) sized paper reversion due to oxidative photodegradation, TAPPI Journal January 2024
ABSTRACT: Alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) is a sizing agent used in papermaking to increase the resistance of paper-board towards water penetration. The acquired hydrophobic property of the paper can be reversed due to the instability of the sizing agent. It is broadly known that AKD size reversion is due to migration, poor orientation, masking, or hydrolysis of the sizing agent. Unfortunately, the environmental parameters that cause this chemical instability are not well understood. Thus, the conditions that initiate or catalyze AKD size reversion and the mechanisms of AKD size reversion under different environmental conditions need to be investigated. In this study, six different experimental setups were used to investigate how temperature, daylight, fluorescent light, oxygen, and ultraviolet (UV) light affect AKD size reversion. Cobb values and pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GCMS) results show that AKD size reversion is due to the degradation of the chemical in the presence of light and oxygen; temperature variations were found to accelerate reversion in the presence of light and oxygen. The oxidative photodegradation mechanism of the sizing agent is explored, and a possible mechanism is proposed.
Journal articles
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Amphoteric dry strength chemistry approach to deal with low-quality fiber and difficult wet-end chemistry conditions in the Asian and North American markets, TAPPI Journal January 2024
ABSTRACT: With Japan’s high recycling rates and low access to fresh fiber sources, reaching strength targets in manufacturing packaging materials is a challenge. Declining quality of recycled fiber and minimal freshwater con-sumption results in difficult wet-end chemistry conditions in terms of high conductivity and elevated levels of dissolved and colloidal substances (DCS). These trends are somewhat typical of other Asian regions. Due to global trade, Asian packaging materials have become a part of the North American (NA) raw material pool. The gradual closing of mill water circuits for fresh water and energy savings results in more difficult wet-end chemistry conditions experienced in North America. China’s ban on the import of mixed paper and the consequent ban on all waste-paper imports triggered a significant price drop in recycled raw material, resulting in plans for increased manufacturing capacity in North America. Between increased demand, decreasing fiber quality, and movement towards more closed white water systems associated with packaging grade paperboard (even a virgin fiber mill uses a fair amount of recycled fiber), new methods to overcome strength reduction in raw materials must be proactively considered for North America. Reviewing the strategies currently used in the Asian industry regarding strength development is an excellent starting place for NA producers. A clear difference between Asian and NA wet-end chemistry is the dominant position of amphoteric dry strength agents. This paper reviews the fundamentals of dry strength development that explain the trend towards the increased application of amphoteric dry strength technology for poor-quality fiber and highly contaminated water circuits in Asian markets. This paper discusses the development and application perfor-mance of the novel 4th generation amphoteric polyacrylamide (AmPAM) dry strength technology, based on selected laboratory and mill case studies.
Journal articles
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Dynamic compression characteristics of fiber-reinforced shoe press belts, TAPPI Journal April 2025
ABSTRACT: Shoe press belts contribute significantly to the overall dewatering performance in the press section of a paper machine. Within the shoe press nip, the press belt faces a dynamic and multidimensional load that mainly leads to a compression of the structure. As this will cause a loss in void volume, knowledge of the dynamic compression characteristics of shoe press belts is crucial for optimized dewatering. A novel method was developed to examine the dynamic compression characteristics of grooved polyurethane press belts. Therefore, an experimental setup allowing realistic boundary conditions to test specimens was placed in a servo-hydraulic testing machine. Press belt specimens with different matrix material formulations and groove patterns were tested under varying load rates equivalent to different paper machine operational speeds. The results showed an evident sensitivity of the dynamic compression stiffness to the operational speed of the paper machine. This behavior was seen to be more sensitive to changes in the matrix material formulation than to adaptions of the groove pattern. As a result, the compression of the press belt within a shoe press nip is not only influenced by the peak pressure within the shoe press nip but also depends on the operational speed of the paper machine.
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Study on the effect of aluminum diethyl phosphinate in synergy with ammonium polyphosphate on the flame retardancy of cellulose paper, TAPPI Journal April 2025
ABSTRACT: This paper involved the synergistic incorporation of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and diethyl aluminum phosphinate (AlPi) as flame-retardant fillers for producing flame-retardant paper. The research revealed that APPs were square particles with a smooth surface, and their solubility was 0.29 g/100 mL at 20°C, which increased to 4.12 g/100 mL at 60°C. The surfaces of AlPis were rough and irregular. The solubility of AlPi was 0.023 g/100 mL at 20°C, and the solubility remained stable when the temperature increased. The addition of AlPi had a minor influence on the pulp beating degree. The tensile strength of kraft/APP/AlPi decreased with the increase of the AlPi addition. For a paper with 20 wt% APP and 0 wt% AlPi, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value was 27.2%, and it burned completely at the eighth second during vertical combustion. When the AlPi additive content increased to 20 wt%, its LOI value increased to 32.2%, and the vertical combustion self-extinguished as soon as the flame was removed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the char residue of the kraft/APP/AlPi had a more complete fiber network structure than that of kraft/APP. The Raman spectroscopy indicated that the area ratio of the D (amorphous phase; disordered graphite vibration) band to the G (crystal phase; graphite carbon vibration) band (ID/ IG) ratio of kraft/APP/AlPi was lower than that of kraft/APP, meaning that the graphitization degree of the char residue of kraft/APP/AlPi was higher than that of kraft/APP, which indicated the kraft/APP/AlPi had better flame retardancy.
Journal articles
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Boiler retrofit improves efficiency and increases biomass firing rates, TAPPI Journal March 2021
ABSTRACT: Domtar’s fluff pulp mill in Plymouth, NC, USA, operates two biomass/hog fuel fired boilers (HFBs). For energy consolidation and reliability improvement, Domtar wanted to decommission the No. 1 HFB and refurbish/retrofit the No. 2 HFB. The No. 2 HFB was designed to burn pulverized coal and/or biomass on a traveling grate. The steaming capacity was 500,000 lb/h from coal and 400,000 lb/h from biomass. However, it had never sustained this design biomass steaming rate. As the sole power boiler, the No. 2 HFB would need to sustain 400,000 lb/h of biomass steam during peak loads. An extensive evaluation by a combustion and boiler technologies supplier was undertaken. The evaluation involved field testing, analysis, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, and it identified several bottle-necks and deficiencies to achieving the No. 2 HFB’s biomass steam goal. These bottlenecks included an inadequate combustion system; insufficient heat capture; excessive combustion air temperature; inadequate sweetwater con-denser (SWC) capacity; and limited induced draft fan capacity.To address the identified deficiencies, various upgrades were engineered and implemented. These upgrades included modern pneumatic fuel distributors; a modern sidewall, interlaced overfire air (OFA) system; a new, larger economizer; modified feedwater piping to increase SWC capacity; replacement of the scrubber with a dry electrostatic precipitator; and upgraded boiler controls.With the deployment of these upgrades, the No. 2 HFB achieved the targeted biomass steaming rate of 400,000 lb/h, along with lowered stack gas and combustion air temperatures. All mandated emissions limit tests at 500,000 lb/h of steam with 400,000 lb/h of biomass steam were passed, and Domtar reports a 10% reduction in fuel firing rates, which represents significant fuel savings. In addition, the mill was able to decommission the No. 1 HFB, which has substantially lowered operating and maintenance costs.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Tetraethyl orthosilicate-containing dispersion coating — water vapor and liquid water barrier properties, TAPPI Journal September 2021
ABSTRACT: An aqueous styrene-butadiene latex dispersion coating containing in-situ processed tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) applied on paperboard demonstrated improved water barrier performance. Coatings containing TEOS equivalent to 0.8% silicon dioxide (SiO2; dry basis) exhibited water vapor performance of < 25 g/m2/day (23°C, 50% relative humidity [RH]) and liquid water barrier performance Cobb 1800 s of < 6 g/m2, when applied as a single-layer 18 g/m2 coating. Cobb 1800 s barrier performance was still good (< 11 g/m2) at coat weights of 7•10 g/m2. The use of filler materials such as kaolin improved the vapor barrier properties of the coating, but this was not critical to the liquid water barrier properties.
Journal articles
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Commercially relevant water vapor barrier properties of high amylose starch acetates: Fact or fiction?, TAPPI Journal September 2021
ABSTRACT: Starches have recently regained attention as ecofriendly barrier materials due to the increased demand for sustainable packaging. They are easily processable by conventional plastics processing equipment and have been utilized for oil and grease barrier applications. While starches have excellent oxygen barrier properties and decent water barrier properties at low relative humidity (RH), they are moisture sensitive, as demonstrated by the deterioration of the barrier properties at higher RH values. Starch esters are chemically modified starches where the hydroxyl group of the starch has been substituted by other moieties such as acetates. This imparts hydrophobicity to starches and has been claimed as a good way of retaining water vapor barrier properties of starches, even at high RH conditions. We studied the water vapor barrier properties of one class of starch esters, i.e., high amylose starch acetates that were assumed to have good water vapor barrier properties. Our investigations found that with a high degree of substitution of hydroxyl groups, the modified starches did indeed show improvements in water vapor response as compared to pure high amylose starch films; however, the barrier properties were orders of magnitude lower than commercially used water vapor barriers like polyethylene. Even though these materials had improved water vapor barrier response, high amylose starch acetates are likely unsuitable as water vapor barriers by themselves, as implied by previous literature studies and patents.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Web lateral instability caused by nonuniform paper properties, TAPPI Journal January 2022
ABSTRACT: Lateral or cross-machine direction (CD) web movement in printing or converting can cause problems such as misregistration, wrinkles, breaks, and folder issues. The role of paper properties in this problem was studied by measuring lateral web positions on commercial printing presses and on a pilot-scale roll testing facility (RTF). The findings clearly showed that CD profiles of machine direction (MD) tension were a key factor in web stability. Uneven tension profiles cause the web to move towards the low-tension side. Although extremely nonuniform tension profiles are visible as bagginess, more often, tension profiles must be detected by precision devices such as the RTF. Once detected, the profiles may be analyzed to determine the cause of web offset and weaving problems.Causes of tension profiles can originate from nonuniform paper properties. For example, by means of case studies, we show that an uneven moisture profile entering the dryer section can lead to a nonuniform tension profile and lateral web movement. Time-varying changes in basis weight or stiffness may also lead to oscillations in the web’s lateral position. These problems were corrected by identifying the root cause and making appropriate changes. In addition, we developed a mathematical model of lateral stability that explains the underlying mechanisms and can be used to understand and correct causes of lateral web instability.