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INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM

Nation

Reduces consumption of surfactants and other chemicals

Increases ink removal

Reduces sticky formation

Minimizes environmental impact

Reduces fiber contamination

Improves recovery of recycled fibers

Increases productivity

Improves paper quality

paper recycling.

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Nozzles are fitted for delivery of the surfactant spray onto the surface of the aerated pulp in a mill trial.

to existing systems.

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and increase fiber yield 5 percent.

Boosting the productivity and competitiveness of U.S. industry through improvements and environmental performance

Benefits for Our Industry and Our

Applications in Our Nation’s Industry

It is estimated there are more than 400 individual flotation cells in North American paper recycling plants. This technology will improve the efficiency and lower the cost of

Surfactant Spray: A Novel Technology to Improve Flotation Deinking Performance Frother Spray Technology Offers Several Advantages Over Current Technology

Paper mills increasingly depend on recycled feedstocks to overcome the shortage of fiber and comply with environmental restrictions on adding paper to landfills. An innovative flotation deinking technology has been proposed for removing ink from wastepaper that will provide better process control mechanisms than current deinking technologies and offer economic benefits to the paper industry.

The new technology would use an atomizer to spray frother at the top of the flotation column, an approach that significantly improves the flotation deinking process, reduces the use of chemicals, and loss of fiber and water. Frother spray technology will control the concentration

and distribution of various surfactants and will be easily retrofitted to industrial flotation equipment without significant modifications

If successfully developed, the new technology will benefit the pulp and paper industry by reducing its operating costs, enhancing its capital effectiveness, improving fiber yield and quality, and minimizing the environmental impact of paper manufacturing. Preliminary data show, in a typical recycling mill of 250 tons of fiber day, the new technology will significantly reduce the industry’s use of water by 75 percent, use of chemicals by 95 percent,

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM

Project Description

Goal: To develop an innovative flotation deinking technology for recycling various grades of paper at a much-reduced cost.

Investigators took two paths toward developing the proposed technology. A laboratory study was directed toward gaining a fundamental understanding of froth stability, the fiber and water loss mechanism, and collector chemistry. The second path involved applying the understanding gained in laboratory studies to commercial pilot-scale trial runs using recycled papers.

Results

• Verified the viability of the foaming agent spray concept in the deinking of old newsprint (ONP) mixed with old magazine paper (OMG) in the presence of an effective collector using laboratory and pilot-scale flotation deinking cells. It was demonstrated that the foaming agent spray could achieve separate control of the application of deinking chemicals, i.e., foaming agent and collector, in flotation deinking of waste paper.

• In laboratory trials, typical fiber loss reduction of 50% was achieved at a brightness gain around 9 ISO% in deinking ONP and OMG mixture.

• During mill-scale trials, surfactant spray deinking technology was found to improve yield across a single flotation unit, while also delivering a greater degree of process control.

• A unique combination of siloxane-based defoaming agent and calcium chloride was found to boost flotation deinking efficiency of furnishes comprised of 100% flexo ONP. Yield losses were minimal compared to those associated with calcium-fatty acid soap deinking chemistry.

Project Partners Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST) Atlanta, GA

Voith Sulzer Appleton, WI

USDA Forest Products Laboratory Madison, WI

For additional information, please contact

Drew Ronneberg, Ph.D. Industrial Technologies Program Phone: (202) 586-0205 Fax: (202) 586-9234 E-mail: Drew.Ronneberg@ee.doe.gov

Jun Yong Zhu, Ph.D. Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST) Atlanta, GA 30318 Phone: (404) 894-5310 Fax: (404) 894-5752 E-mail: Junyong.Zhu@ipst.edu

A Strong Energy Portfolio for a Strong America Energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy will mean a stronger economy, a cleaner environment, and greater energy independence for America. Working with a wide array of state, community, industry, and university partners, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy invests in a diverse portfolio of energy technologies.

January 2007 Project completed by January 2004 Full award # DE-FC07-00ID13879

For more information, visit www.eere.energy.gov/industry or call 1-877-337-3463