Innovative Approach to Increase Filler or Reduce Long Fiber without Compromising Quality or Productivity

摘要

Reducing overall cost is the primary goal of nearly every paper manufacturer around the world, unless it compromises quality or productivity. A new innovative approach allows papermakers to increase sheet strength, which subsequently enables them to increase filler or reduce long fiber. Marketed as OptiFill, this new filler-fiber optimization program from Ashland was developed for bleached/carbonate containing systems found in printing and writing and some packaging grades. This program has demonstrated significant cost reduction while maintaining both quality and machine productivity. This paper presents the key components of this new program, which generates strength to maintain quality (dry strength) and productivity (wet-web). The strength mechanisms are based on generating mild filler aggregation and on creating a strength network between filler and fibers using innovative polymer technologies that arc designed to work to be compatible with optical brightener systems and to withstand shear forces from the papermaking systems. This program requires simple equipment to implement, therefore very little capital is required to implement. Case histories are presented, highlighting where this innovative approach has proven to maintain vital paper properties such as bulk, internal bond and dusting while increasing filler up to five percent and maintaining machine productivity.