How Retention and Drainage Chemicals Impact Papermaking?

Retention and drainage perform an essential role in the papermaking process. While in the manufacturing of paper and paperboard, it also acknowledged that some materials could have improved retention and/or drainage properties.

The paper industry and retention and drainage chemical suppliers are continually striving to enhance paper quality, boosting productivity, and trim down the cost of production. Additives are also introduced to the paper industries. Retention aids are the main things used to lessen the expense of raw materials and the paper mill industry. 

In order to maintain the control over cost, it is completely necessary to sustain almost all of the fibers, such as cellulose, wood pulp, etc. Also, this aims to minimize pollution, increase the consistency of paper, and minimize adverse environmental effects throughout the manufacturing phase.

Drainage chemicals slurry on paper wire or fabric is also a restrictive step towards higher speeds during the manufacture of paper machines. Enhanced dewatering or drainage will also result in a dryer layer in the press and dryer parts, resulting in decreased energy consumption. 

In particular, since this is the step in the process of papermaking that defines much more of the final effects of the print, so the retention / drainage chemicals assistance can have an impact on the ultimate quality of the final sheet of paper.

Reasons, why one needs Retention and Drainage Agents in Papermaking Process

Throughout the filtration phase, during the process of papermaking, the paper-machine wire fabric is used as a persistent filter that removes the solids from the ready-made pulp solution. Still, individual small particles spill out through water and trigger too many complications in the paper-forming mechanism. In the unavailability of chemical formulation and drainage, the paper processing firm has to address the following problems:

  • Deposits increment
  • Excess concentration of fine fiber particles and filler drainage in pulp solution
  • Increased additives and sizing costs
  • More sewer losses and formation of a wrong quality paper sheet
  • Decreased running ability of the papermaking machine
  • Cleaning downtime rate goes increased
  • Filling of wet-press felts

Issues that come up due to low Retention and Drainage

Throughout the process of papermaking, you will figure out that this is nothing but a filtration process. The wire paper machine wire cloth operates as a filter that functions continuously.

In the process of papermaking, the absence of proper retention and drainage chemicals can cause the following issues:

  • Higher cost of sizing and additives
  • Increased drainage of fillers and fiber particles
  • Increased deposits
  • More time required for cleaning
  • Decreased operational efficiency
  • Bad formation of paper sheets
  • Higher loss of material to sewers
  • Quick wet-press felt filling
  • Functionality of retention and drainage aids

With the most exceptional colloids retention and fine particles throughout the papermaking process, the zeta potential must be near to zero, supported by the chemicals retention and recommended by retention and drainage chemical suppliers.

Importance of using the right chemicals and techniques

Like in any other execution, Drainage and Retention are also gentle in essence of the chemicals used as techniques and aids. Overdose of retention and drainage chemicals can increase the flocking sheets amount. In fact, there could be a rise in the likelihood of tearing in the paper web.

If the inferior chemicals are included for the operation, the working efficiency of the paper machines is decreased, and the papers come out with several quality problems. Hence it is required that the correct quantity with good quality Micropolymer Preservation and drainage aids should be applied.

So, this is how retention and drainage chemicals impact paper making.