Effects of structures and properties of surfactants on office paper deinking

摘要

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate how surfactant properties affect deinking of toner printed-paper, and to select the best surfactant for office paper deinking. New surfactants based on polyalkylene oxide dialkyl ether and butylene oxide alkyl ether with different hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) and molecular weight were used. Solutions of these surfactants were analyzed through static and dynamic surface tension, contact angle, toner swelling, and dynamic penetration measurements on toner surfaces. The results revealed that the wetting of toners enhanced as the surface tension of surfactant solution decreased. Conversely, swelling of toner was independent of surface tension and depended on the structure of the surfactant molecule. The most efficient deinking of office paper was obtained when the surfactant showed lower surface tension and higher swelling of toner.