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Sulfur makeup in an unbleached kraft pulp mill, TAPPI Journal August 2024
ABSTRACT: Sodium sesquisulfate or “sesqui” (Na3H(SO4)2) is a by-product of chlorine dioxide production at kraft pulp mills. It is typically used for sodium and sulfur makeup in the liquor loop. Mondi Hinton Inc. (MHI) in Hinton, AB, Canada, was converting from bleached to unbleached kraft pulp production and was thus losing this source of makeup. The only option that was readily available as a substitute was sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), which was cost prohibitive. Other options such as sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), emulsified sulfur, sulfuric acid (H2SO4), and sodium bisulfite (NaHSO3) were compared. The mill concluded that pelletized sulfur plus sodium hydroxide or “caustic soda” (NaOH) was the best option. Laboratory-scale experiments showed that pelletized sulfur dissolved in white liquor (WL). A mill-scale trial revealed that pelletized sulfur added to a causticizer had no adverse impacts on the downstream pressure filters or kiln operation. The sulfur reacted to produce polysulfide upstream of the WL storage tank, giving the liquor an orange hue. This polysulfide appeared to partially degrade into thiosulfate before being fed to the digester. The heavy black liquor (HBL) sulfur:sodium (S:Na) ratio did not change significantly, even though the sulfur/soda addition location was upstream of the original one. In addition, other properties such as liquor heating value and elemental analysis did not significantly change. Due to polysulfide/thiosulfate concentration in the white liquor, it was determined that the carbon steel equipment was at risk for corrosion. During the annual turnaround that occurred eight months after the addition of sulfur was started, the wash zone of the digester showed no signs of thinning/damage. The mill has been running exclusively with pelletized sulfur for 22 months (as of August 2024), realizing significant cost savings compared to the use of NaHS or other sulfur/soda addition options.
Journal articles
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The role of hornification in the deterioration mechanism of physical properties of unrefined eucalyptus fibers during paper recycling, TAPPI Journal February 2024
ABSTRACT: Physical properties of cellulosic paper deteriorate significantly during paper recycling, which hinders the sustainable development of the paper industry. This work investigates the property deterioration mechanism and the role of hornification in the recycling process of unrefined eucalyptus fibers. The results showed that during the recycling process, the hornification gradually deepened, the fiber width gradually decreased, and the physical properties of the paper also gradually decreased. After five cycles of reuse, the relative bonding area decreased by 17.6%, while the relative bonding force decreased by 1.8%. Further results indicated that the physical property deterioration of the paper was closely related to the decrease of fiber bonding area. The fiber bonding area decreased linearly with the reduction of re-swollen fiber width during paper recycling. Re-swollen fiber width was closely related to the hornification. Hornification mainly reduces the bonding area of unrefined eucalyptus fiber rather than the bonding force. The work elucidates the role of hornification in the recycling process of unrefined eucalyptus fibers and the deterioration mechanism of paper physical properties, which will be helpful to control the property deterioration of paper and achieve a longer life cycle.
Journal articles
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Editorial: Special issue showcases new additive approaches for a lignocellulose-based future, TAPPI Journal January 2024
ABSTRACT: Lignocellulose-derived materials are inherently renewable and are of benefit not only through their recyclability and biodegradability, but also from carbon sequestration during the production of the base raw material. With regulatory agencies tightening restrictions and consumer habits slowly shifting, the paper industry is well positioned to fill a market need for renewable bio-based materials. Although the inherent benefits of lignocellulose-based products are many, all too often, the end-product does not meet the required performance or cost in use desired by end-users. This creates obstacles for a more renewable economy that relies less on petroleum-derived products.
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Next generation dry strength additives: Leveraging on-site synthesis to develop high performance glyoxalated polyacrylamides, TAPPI Journal January 2024
ABSTRACT: Although glyoxalated polyacrylamides (gPAMs) have been described since the 1950s, the freedom to design new materials based on this chemistry has been limited by practical concerns; namely, a balance between solution concentration and material characteristics must be met to make the economics of gPAM strength additives work for the paper industry. For traditional “delivered” gPAMs, only a very narrow range of polyacrylamide molecular weights and compositions could be considered for glyoxalation. However, the development and successful implementation of automated reactor equipment that allows for the synthesis of gPAMs from glyoxal and polyacrylamide copolymers at the mill, known as “on-site” glyoxalation, obviates the shipping and stability concerns that have traditionally held back gPAM development. As such, on-site generators represent a platform that enables the glyoxalation of materials that would otherwise not have been suitable for use in a traditionally delivered gPAM product. These on-site generators therefore open new avenues for polymer design to allow for the creation of the next generation of strength additives. By leveraging the synthetic freedom of the on-site generators, a suite of high performance gPAMs has been designed, yielding materials that provide both exceptional strength and drainage performance in poor quality furnishes.
Journal articles
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Improving monochloramine performance with innovative sensor-controlled dosing, TAPPI Journal January 2024
ABSTRACT: Monochloramine (MCA) has become one of the major oxidant chemistries for biological control in the paper industry. Feedback control, such as oxidative-reductive potential (ORP), is often used to provide better control of a dosing scheme. The trademarked Ackumen MCA-i is a chemical-digital solution that uses artificial intelligence with actionable insights to stabilize the wet-end process, providing improved performance and reduction in overall chemical costs. Accurate sensor-controlled dosing can be tied to multiple inputs, such as production rates, grade changes, pH, ORP, chlorine residual, freshwater usage, and more. In this study, a case history will be presented to demonstrate how this technology provided a more consistent MCA molecule throughout the process, resulting in a higher level of efficacy and reduction in chemical costs.
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Investigation on the recycling of sulfuric acid from pretreatment of cellulose for nanocellulose preparation, TAPPI JOURNAL February 2020
ABSTRACT: Sulfuric acid is often used to pretreat cellulose prior to homogenization and conversion to nanocellulose. It would be economically significant to reuse the acid to close the overall value chain loop. The target of this work was to investigate the effect of recovery and recycling frequency of sulfuric acid from the pretreatments on the pretreatment yield of water-insoluble cellulose solid residue, and to explore the relationship between the nanocellulose size prepared by recovery of acid and number of cycles. The surface properties of the nanocelluloses were measured, including content of sulfate groups, absolute zeta potential, crystallinity, and thermal stability.
Journal articles
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On increasing wet-web strength with adhesive polymers, TAPPI JOURNAL February 2020
ABSTRACT: Fiber-fiber adhesion, called “bonding” in the old paper physics literature, is a critical component of the overall strength of dry paper. With freshly formed very wet pulp fiber webs, all evidence suggests there are no fiber-fiber crossings with significant adhesive joint strength. With water removal, a point will be reached where fiber-fiber adhesion starts to contribute to the overall wet-web strength.The literature reveals very few examples of polymers that increase fiber-fiber joint strength in freshly formed webs. Here, we summarize the literature and explain why it is so difficult to promote fiber-fiber wet adhesion with polymers. Nevertheless, ongoing research in areas as diverse as tissue engineering scaffolds and biomimetic adhesives gives clues to future developments. Advances in paper machine engineering have lessened the importance of wet-web strength. By contrast, a critical issue in many of the evolving nanocellulose technologies is the strength of objects first formed by aqueous processing, the green strength—the strength of wet bodies before drying. For exam-ple, 3-D printed nanocellulose objects and ultralow density cellulosic aerogels can be destroyed by capillary forces during drying. There is a need for adhesives that strengthen freshly formed, wet lignocellulosic joints.
Journal articles
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Stiffness and strength properties of five paperboards and their moisture dependency, TAPPI Journal February 2020
ABSTRACT: Five commercial multiply folding boxboards made on the same paperboard machine have been analyzed. The paperboards were from the same product series but had different grammage (235, 255, 270, 315, 340 g/m2) and different bending stiffness. The paperboards are normally used to make packages, and because the bending stiffness and grammage varies, the performance of the packages will differ. Finite element simulations can be used to predict these differences, but for this to occur, the stiffness and strength properties need to be deter-mined. For efficient determination of the three-dimensional properties in the machine direction (MD), cross direction (CD), and Z direction (ZD), it is proposed that the paperboard should be characterized using in-plane tension, ZD-tension, shear strength profiles, and two-point bending. The proposed setups have been used to determine stiff-ness and strength properties at different relative humidity (20,% 50%, 70%, and 90% RH), and the mechanical proper-ties have been evaluated as a function of moisture ratio.There was a linear relation between mechanical properties and moisture ratio for each paperboard. When the data was normalized with respect to the standard climate (50% RH) and plotted as a function of moisture ratio, it was shown that the normalized mechanical properties for all paperboards coincided along one single line and could therefore be expressed as a linear function of moisture ratio and two constants.Consequently, it is possible to obtain the mechanical properties of a paperboard by knowing the structural properties for the preferred level of RH and the mechanical property for the standard climate (50% RH and 23°C).
Journal articles
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Editorial: TAPPI Journal research highlights from 2019, TAPPI Journal January 2020
ABSTRACT: As we move into 2020, it's interesting to look back at the research topics that were covered in TAPPI Journal (TJ) the previous year. Members of the TJ editorial board organized diverse special issues on lignin, coating ,forming, and diverse papermaking and biorefinery topics, which are discussed in the following sections.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Effects of different ammonium lignosulfonate contents on the crystallization, rheological behaviors, and thermal and mechanical properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer/polypropylene/ammonium lignosulfonate composites, TAPPI Journal January 2020
ABSTRACT: Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), made from ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) and polypropylene (PP) based on reactive blending, has an excellent processing performance and characteristics and a wide range of applications. However, there are currently no reports in the literature regarding the usage of TPE in making composite boards. In this paper, EPDM, PP, and ammonium lignosulfonate (AL) were used as the raw materials, polyethylene wax was used as the plasticizer, and a dicumyl peroxide vulcanization system with dynamic vulcanization was used to make a new kind of composite material. This research studied the influences of the AL contents on the crystallization behaviors, rheological properties, thermal properties, and mechanical properties of the composites. The results showed that the AL content had a noticeable impact on the performance of the composite board. Accordingly, this kind of composite material can be used as an elastomer material for the core layer of laminated flooring.