Search
Use the search bar or filters below to find any TAPPI product or publication.
Filters
Publications
Level of Knowledge
Collections
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Flow characteristics of drag-reducing natural bamboo fiber suspensions with minimal environmental load, TAPPI Journal September 2019
ABSTRACT: The reduction of pipe friction loss by adding drag-reducing agents has attracted attention as an aid to energy conservation. Drag-reducing agents induce drag reduction (DR) effects and should have a minimal environmental load, with natural resource-saving potential. This study demonstrates bamboo fiber as a drag-reducing agent that saves natural resources and has a low environmental load. Using pressure drop measurements, we report DR with suspensions of bamboo fibers with the average diameter of 13.3 µm and aspect ratio of 98.7. The maximum DR obtained in this experiment is 43% at the concentration of 4000 ppm and pipe diameter of 30 mm; DR is affected by the Reynolds number, suspension concentration, and pipe diameter. In addition, the bamboo fibers can be easily removed from the suspensions by filtration. We found that low-environmental-load bamboo fiber has DR effects like those of other fibers; its effects are greater than those of conventional synthetic fibers and wood pulp. Furthermore, it is resistant to mechanical degradation, recoverable, and recyclable. Therefore, DR effects can be selectively obtained by adding the fibers only when DR is needed; the fibers can then be collected when DR is no longer necessary. This method might greatly expand the application range of DR agents. The results demonstrate the usefulness of bamboo fibers as DR additives.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
A novel unit operation to remove hydrophobic contaminants, TAPPI Journal April 2020
ABSTRACT: For mills making paper with recovered fiber, removal of hydrophobic contaminants is essential for trouble-free operation of paper machines. Significant cost savings on paper machine operation can be achieved by reducing deposits, which results in better quality, reduced downtime, increased fiber yield, and reduced energy consumption. Bubble nucleation separation (BNS) is a relatively new process for removing hydrophobic particles. When vacuum is applied to a slurry, dissolved gas bubbles nucleate on hydrophobic particles and drag them to the surface for easy removal. We constructed a 16-L batch unit to evaluate the effect of operating parameters on removal of hydrophobic particles, using statistical design of experiments. These results were used to guide our design of a 16-L continuous unit. We tested this unit on laboratory and mill samples. The removal of 60%•80% of hydrophobic particles was achieved with a low reject rate of < 2%.Following on this success, we built a 200-L pilot unit and tested it in our pilot plant. With promising results there, we installed the pilot unit at a commercial paper recycling mill. Over the course of several mill trials, we showed that it was possible to remove a considerable amount of suspended solids from paper machine white water with less than 2% rejects. Unfortunately, due to the unit only treating 50 L/min and the mill flow being 12000 L/min, we were not able treat a sufficient portion of the white water to know whether a large-scale implementation of BNS would improve paper machine runnability.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
The winding mechanics of laminate webs, TAPPI Journal February 2020
ABSTRACT: Models that describe the residual stresses due to winding single-layer webs at the end of roll-to-roll manufacturing machines are mature. These models have been used to reduce or avoid defects that are due to winding. Many laminated products exist where two or more webs have been joined to form a thicker composite web. The properties of the web layers provide a unique functionality to the product being manufactured. No laminate winding models exist in the literature. This paper will focus on the development of a laminate winding model and laboratory test verification of the model.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Root cause analysis of cationic polymer additive efficiency decline in virgin and recycle containerboard mills, TAPPI Journal January 2020
ABSTRACT: It is well known that retention, drainage and strength polymers struggle to perform (if at all) in virgin containerboard mills. In-depth studies have been undertaken in this area for more than seven years, investigating the issue from all directions. A key finding of this work is that soluble lignin is detrimental to chemical efficiency. A strong correlation exists between decreased chemical efficiency and high soluble lignin. Both recycled systems and virgin systems have been studied, and this correlation holds true regardless of furnish. The primary area of concern is virgin container-board, because these mills tend to have the highest lignin levels. Some highly closed recycled mills can also build elevated lignin levels that can negatively affect chemical efficiency.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Equilibrium moisture content in wet pressing of paper, TAPPI Journal July 2020
ABSTRACT: Equilibrium moisture is a limiting factor in achieving high solids in the later stages of pressing or pressing low basis weight grades. We have developed a model that relates equilibrium moisture directly to the pore size distribution of fibers as measured by the solute exclusion technique. The model shows that chemical pulping and refining increase equilibrium moisture by increasing pore volume at given pore sizes in fibers, which leads to lower pressed solids and greater energy expenditure in the dryer section. Means to increase equilibrium moisture without compromising pulp strength are briefly discussed.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Viscoelastic web curl due to storage in wound rolls, TAPPI Journal July 2020
ABSTRACT: Winding is often the final operation in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process. Web materials, i.e., materials that are thin compared to their length, are wound into rolls because this form is the only practical means to store them. The resulting bending strains and associated stresses are large for thick webs and laminates. As many webs are viscoelastic on some time scale, bending stresses lead to creep and inhomogeneous changes in length. When the web material is unwound and cut into discrete samples, a residual curvature remains. This curvature, called curl, is the inability for the web to lie flat at no tension. Curl is an undesirable web defect that causes loss of productivity in a subsequent web process. This paper describes the development and implementation of modeling and experimental tools to explore and mitigate curl in homogenous webs. Two theoretical and numerical methods that allow the prediction of curl in a web are developed: a winding software based on bending recovery theory, and the implementation of dynamic simula-tions of winding. One experimental method is developed that directly measures the curl online by taking advantage of the anticlastic bending resulting from the curl. These methods are demonstrated for a low-density polyethylene web.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Wet pressing and product quality: Review of previous pilot machine trials, TAPPI Journal July 2020
ABSTRACT: The purpose of wet pressing is to remove water by mechanical means to consolidate the web and minimize the energy expended in the dryer section. In this process, paper is compacted and densified to degrees that impact end-use performance. Average density is increased by pressing, which has implications for grades where stiffness is important. The z-direction density gradients can affect printing and converting. Lastly, pressing affects surface quality of paper and its response to printing. Broadly speaking, the final press nip dominates the paper surface roughness and the early press nips affect printing performance.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Cationic emulsions of maleic anhydride derivatives of oleic and abietic acid for hydrophobic sizing of paper, TAPPI Journal 2020
ABSTRACT: Ordinary rosin sizing agents are mixtures of resin acids that include abietic acid and related compounds obtained from softwoods such as pine. Fatty acids, which are another byproduct of the kraft pulping of soft-wood species, also may have hydrophobic effects, but their use as sizing agents has seldom been considered. In the current study, abietic acid and oleic acid, in the absence of other components, were first modified by reaction with maleic acid anhydride. Then, the maleated derivatives (maleated oleic acid [MOA] and maleated abietic acid [MAA]), which were emulsified with cationic starch at the 1:1 and 3:2 ratio, respectively, were added to fiber furnish containing aluminum sulfate (papermaker’s alum). The prepared sheets were dried with a rotating drum on one side at 100°C at low pressure to cure the sizing agents. The chemical, optical strength, and absorption properties were measured. The presence of the sizing material was confirmed using time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), and the retention of the sizing agent on fibers was supported by evidence of hydrocarbons on the paper surface. In addition to achieving sufficient water resistance features with MAA, a lesser hydrophobic character was obtained when using MOA. Compared to commercial applications, relatively large amounts of sizing agent were used to obtain a sufficient sizing degree. The MOA required 5% addition to achieve a similar sizing degree as MAA at the 2% level. The sizing treatments also resulted in substantial increases in tensile index value. Since cationic starch was used in the formulation of the sizing agents, the increase in tensile index may have been due to the influence of cationic starch. Contributions to paper strength from a combination of ionic complexation and mutual association of hydrophobic groups is also proposed. Depending on the amount of sizing agent, the yellowness increased, especially when sizing with MOA.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Case study: Paper mill power plant optimization—balancing steam venting with mill demand, TAPPI Journal June 2020
ABSTRACT: Most Power departments are tasked with generating steam to support mill wide operations, generate electricity, and reduce operating costs. To accomplish these tasks, power boilers generate high pressure steam that is reduced to intermediate and low pressures for process utilization in the mill by means of steam turbine generator extraction or pressure reducing valves. The most economical method to reduce steam pressure is the use of steam turbine generators, as electricity is generated from the steam when it is reduced in pressure. Electricity that is produced by these generators provides a substantial financial benefit and helps offset overall operational costs. To achieve tangible financial gains, the mill must evaluate the overall cost of steam production and the price of electricity.The current work provides a case study of power plant optimization that evaluated electricity production and steam production costs balanced with mill steam demand. Process and cost optimization led to a significant reduc-tion in low pressure steam venting, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and reduced operating cost.
Journal articles
Magazine articles
Economic and competitive potential of lignin-based thermoplastics using a multicriteria decision-making method, TAPPI Journal September 2022
ABSTRACT: As a result of new lignin extraction plants hatching and increasing volumes of technical lignin becoming available, a variety of lignin derivatives, including phenolic resins and polyurethane (PU) foams, are reaching the marketplace or being used as intermediate products in many industrial applications. In the spectrum of possible lignin derivatives, thermoplastics appear particularly attractive due to a symbiosis of market, policy, and technology drivers. To assess the preferredness for lignin-based thermoplastics, this paper adapted a risk-oriented methodology formerly applied to assess lignin usage in various applications (phenol-formaldehyde [PF] resins, PU foams, and carbon fiber applications) to the case of lignin-based thermoplastics using hydroxypropylated lignin (HPL) and miscible blends of lignin and polyethylene oxide (PEO). The HPL is considered for garbage bags and agricultural films applications, while lignin-PEO blends are used as replacement for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) in applications such as automotive parts. In the methodology, two phased-implementation strategies were defined for each thermoplastic derivative, considering perspectives for profit maximization (90 metric tons/day integrated units) and revenue growth (350 metric tons/day overall capacity), which were considered for implementation within a softwood kraft pulping mill. A set of six criteria representative of the main economic and market competitiveness issues were employed, and their respective importance weights were obtained in a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) panel.Early-stage techno-economic estimates were done as a basis for the calculation of decision criteria. Compared to product derivatives previously assessed, capital investment for thermoplastic strategies appeared marginally higher due to the required lignin modification steps (on average 30% higher at similar capacity, and 6% for higher-scale revenue diversification strategies). Higher operating costs were also observed due to increased chemical expenses for all thermoplastic strategies, which are ultimately balanced by revenues associated with targeted thermoplastic products, leading to greater annual margins and cash flow generation over the project lifetime for thermoplastic strategies compared to other product applications (58% to 66% higher on average, at similar scale). Benefits of improved economics were reflected in economic criteria, internal rate of return (IRR), and cash flow on capital employed (CFCE), as well as in the price competitiveness criterion, CPC. Overall, the combination of relatively high lignin content in the plastic formulation and the less costly modification method contributed to lignin-PEO strategies, gaining the top two rankings. Based on their overall scores, both strategies defined for HPL would also integrate the group of “preferred” strategies, but are outranked by strategies that consider lignin positioning on PU foam applications.