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Chemical dosage and mixing linked to end-product variability

Paul Krochak has been named the winner of the Jasper Mardon Memorial Prize recognizing the Best Papermaking Technology Paper presented at PaperCon 2013. The prize was awarded for the presentation entitled “Bridging Chemical Dosage, Mixing…

Paul Krochak has been named the winner of the Jasper Mardon Memorial Prize recognizing the Best Papermaking Technology Paper presented at PaperCon 2013. The prize was awarded for the presentation entitled “Bridging Chemical Dosage, Mixing Quality and Variability in Paper Sheets.”

“Paul Krochak’s paper reporting the results of a study investigating the influence of variables in chemical additive addition on final product quality is a noteworthy effort that advances the industry’s understanding of this important aspect of papermaking technology,” notes Larry N. Montague, TAPPI president and CEO.

The paper was authored by Krochak, Bo Norman, Giuseppe Carmine Fasci, and Lisa Prahl Wittberg. The study investigated the fact that poor dosage and mixing of chemicals in the approach flow has long been suspected to lead to variability in paper products. The study first analyzed the distribution of additives using a blue color instead of a retention aid and which revealed high levels of variability. In the second part of the study the effect of different dosage nozzle configurations on downstream mixing quality was studied using two-phase computational fluid dynamics. The results indicate the existence of optimal dosage configurations and point toward a strong coupling between chemical addition strategy, mixing quality and chemical variability in final products.

Montague says the paper “is an outstanding example of how research can advance technology and in turn lead to improved product quality and thus is very deserving of the prestigious Jasper Mardon Prize.”

The Jasper Mardon Prize honors the memory of legendary industry scientist and author Jasper Mardon. During a 50-year career Mardon made many significant contributions to paper machine technology in areas including machine design, operational optimization, training and education and research management.