Dow Industrial Specialty Polymers in Pulp and Paper Applications

Coatings
Dispersion for tissue and thin papers
Filler retention and drainage enhancement
Flocculation and pitch control
Grease-proof coatings, adhesives, release coatings, and surface sizing
Sizes for gloss and ink holdout
Tail tie and pickup adhesives for papermaking

Coatings – CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose increases the water retention of coating colors, particularly with coatings containing high proportions of latex, where the penetration of adhesive into the base sheet must be controlled. As a starting point, add about 0.5 to 1.0 percent of CELLOSIZE HEC QP 09, based on pigment. If higher viscosity can be tolerated, substitute CELLOSIZE HEC QP 3 or QP 40 for CELLOSIZE HEC QP 09.

The use of CELLOSIZE HEC also contributes to improved grease resistance. For oil- and grease-proof coatings, use about two pounds per 1000-square feet (10 grams per square meter) of surface. Coatings may be applied by blade, air-knife, or roll coating.

Dispersion for tissue and thin papers – POLYOX™ Water-Soluble Resins, marketed as UCARFLOC™ Polymers, are water-soluble, specialty poly (ethylene oxide) dispersants that serve as outstanding formation aids in tissue-making processes. As pulp slurry additives, UCARFLOC Polymers improve sheet formation in thin papers such as tissue paper, and in the first layer of paper boards. They help produce very even paper without pinholes while improving opacity, brightness, lubricity, and printability.

In processes used to produce tissues and other thin papers, UCARFLOC Polymers allow increased paper machine speed and good sheet formation without pin-holes (fish eyes). Good quality paper can be obtained even with low pulp beating levels. These polymers can help reduce staining of felts, forming wires, and vats. They also improve release of paper on dryers.

To meet different production demands, Dow offers a complete line of UCARFLOC Polymers, with molecular weights ranging from 4 million to 10 million. The molecular weight distributions of all UCARFLOC Polymers are controlled within a very narrow range, so they provide very consistent performance.

Molecular Weights¹ of UCARFLOC Polymers for Tissue Manufacturing

UCARFLOC Polymer	Molecular Weight
UCARFLOC 300	4,000,000
UCARFLOC 302	5,000,000
UCARFLOC 304	7,000,000
UCARFLOC 309	8,000,000
UCARFLOC 310	10,000,000

¹Typical properties, not to be construed as sales specifications

Filler retention and drainage enhancement – POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins, marketed as UCARFLOC Polymers, can significantly boost filler retention to help paper makers meet the demand for high-opacity, lighter-weight paper. In furnishes that contain high concentrations of dissolved anionic species, UCARFLOC Polymers offer performance far superior to retention aids such as polyacrylamides (PAMs) and polyethylene imines (PEIs).

UCARFLOC Polymers are nonionic and maintain effectiveness even in highly anionic environments. UCARFLOC polymers have provided increases in opacity through the retention of fillers when added to systems at dosages of less than 0.5 lb UCARFLOC polymer/ton solids.

Laboratory tests have shown that UCARFLOC Polymer 304 significantly boosts first-pass fiber retention. Retention of fillers such as TiO2 and clay can be boosted dramatically when using UCARFLOC Polymers.

Flocculation and pitch control – High molecular weight grades of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins, sold as UCARFLOC Polymers, are used in paper making due to their high affinity for pulps, fillers, and pitch. POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are used in fines retention, drainage enhancement and in paper waste, wastewater and effluent systems. They exhibit a high affinity for a variety of materials, including silica, clays, lignins, and paper fines.

Application	Recommended Grades	Use Levels
Paper fines retention	UCARFLOC 304 UCARFLOC 309	0.005 – 0.25% of dry fiber

Grease-proof coatings, adhesives, release coatings, and surface sizing – Grease and oil barrier properties in conjunction with film-forming capabilities make METHOCEL™ Cellulose Ethers valuable in a variety of paper coatings and sizings. The excellent film properties (high tensile strength and good elongation) offered by METHOCEL Products play key roles in these applications.

Sizings for gloss and ink hold-out – CELLOSIZE Hydroxyethyl Cellulose products are useful gloss and ink hold-out sizes for paper and paperboard. Advantages of printing paper size with CELLOSIZE HEC include superior definition of printed images, lower cost because of lower penetration of the top coat, and high gloss. It can be applied to paper or paperboard at either the size press or the calender stack. In paper sizing, 0.1 to 0.5 pounds per 1000-square feet (0.5 to 2.5 grams per square meter) is the usual application.

CELLOSIZE HEC offers other desirable properties in paper applications, including its ready solubility in water; compatibility with most gums, resins, and inorganic salts; low biological oxygen demand; low foaming tendency, and its ability to form clear films.

Tail tie and pickup adhesives for papermaking – POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are used in both tail tie and pickup adhesives for rolled toilet tissue and paper toweling. They offer excellent water solubility, repulpability on recycled waste streams, and an excellent toxicity profile. The wide range of molecular weights of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins permits excellent flexibility to adjust formulation viscosity.

POLYOX Resins for Paper Adhesive Applications

Application	Recommended Grades	Use Levels
Tail-tie paper adhesives	POLYOX WSR N-750 POLYOX WSR-205 POLYOX WSR-301	3 – 7 weight %
Tissue and toweling adhesives	POLYOX WSR N-750 POLYOX WSR-205 POLYOX WSR N-3000	4 – 7 weight %