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DETERMINATION OF PARTICLE SHAPE DISTRIBUTION OF CLAY USING AN AUTOMATED AFM IMAGE ANALYSIS METHOD, 2008 Advanced Coating Fundamentals Symposium

DETERMINATION OF PARTICLE SHAPE DISTRIBUTION OF CLAY USING AN AUTOMATED AFM IMAGE ANALYSIS METHOD, 2008 Advanced Coating Fundamentals Symposium

The Challenges of Recycled Furnish in the Manufacture of Premium Tissue Products, PaperCon 2014

The Challenges of Recycled Furnish in the Manufacture of Premium Tissue Products, PaperCon 2014

Toward Deinking of LEP Inks Printed on Different Substrates, PaperCon 2013

Toward Deinking of LEP Inks Printed on Different Substrates, PaperCon 2013

An analytical method to quantitatively determine the amount of polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE) in paperboard and white water, TAPPI Journal February 2023

Editorial: Nonwovens sector provides opportunities for professional and advanced textiles growth, TAPPI Journal February 2023

Mechanistic aspects of nanocellulose–cationic starch–colloidal silica systems for papermaking, TAPPI Journal February 2023

Investigating the causes of severe economizer tube thinning in a spent sulfite liquor (SSL) boiler, TAPPI Journal August 2026

ABSTRACT: In this study, the causes of tube thinning in the economizer of an ammonia-based spent sulfite liquor (SSL) boiler in a Canadian pulp mill are investigated. The tube thinning was most severe in the upper tube rows of the lowest economizer sections where the tube surface temperature ranges between about 180°C and 210°C. The location, the temperature range, and the results of a tube failure analysis indicate that some form of corrosion- erosion is the main cause for the tube thinning. The process is likely initiated by the formation of potassium bisulfate in tube deposits. We hypothesize that some areas in the economizer, including gaps in tube shields, have allowed for temporary buildup of deposits that were not fully removed by sootblowing. Potassium bisulfate is highly hygroscopic, so it readily absorbs moisture, forming an acidic solution leading to corrosion. The corrosion products are removed by the erosive effects of high velocity gas movement, causing the tube thinning. The high-speed fluid flow may be a result of sootblower action and/or enhanced flue gas velocity due to channeling. The tube thinning eventually leads to perforation and leakage.

Image classification of the furnace bed height in recovery boilers, TAPPI Journal July 2026

ABSTRACT: The goal of this study is to develop an approach for classifying char bed height in a recovery boiler during operation. The resulting classified images form a dataset that can be used by the mill to support operational improvements. The study integrates data from the digester, evaporation plant, recovery boiler, and recausticizing plant, along with the classified image data. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained on bed camera images that were manually annotated to classify furnace bed height. The model was then used to generate a binary bedheight parameter over a 16-month period, and an extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model was applied to identify relationships with operating parameters across the recovery cycle. The outcomes of this research may offer deeper insights into the processes underlying bed dynamics. Ultimately, the developed system may serve as a tool for optimizing bed conditions and supporting stable combustion.

A method to produce paperboard with a lightweight low-density coating, TAPPI Journal November 2025

ABSTRACT: In this work, a method is described in which a coating layer is produced that consists of a network of bubble-shaped air-filled voids within the coating. This is accomplished by instantaneously flash-drying all the water in the coating as it exits the application nip. The nip is formed between a polished chrome drum and a deformable press roll. The combination of the drum temperature, nip pressure, and nip width allow for sufficient energy to be transferred to the coating to completely flash-dry the coating material. The pressure within the nip is sufficient to allow the coating to superheat within the nip, then flash boil as it exits the nip. This boiling effect and resulting expansion are constrained by the roll surface, resulting in a coated surface that mirrors the polished chrome surface. The coating immobilizes while in the process of boiling, which preserves the bubble structure. With a coat weight of 5 g/m2, a flat, smooth surface is produced. This process was scaled up to a mill production machine layout and run at speeds as high as 450 m/min.

Editorial: The U.S. pulp & paper industry at a crossroads: Can it lead the bioeconomy

The industry is entering a pivotal moment in which many of us find ourselves engaged in deep soul searching. Since the days of Francis Bacon when the illustrious triumvirate of gunpowder, the compass, and paper were the drivers of civilizations, our community has enjoyed a noble place at the table. Indeed, especially over the last 100 years, pulp and paper has quietly powered communication, commerce, and, more than ever today, packaging, thus representing a steady backbone for the continued stability of many global industries.