Ring removal in rotary kilns used by the pulp and paper industry, TAPPI JOURNAL March 2016

Please Note: This document will be available in PDF format in the "My Electronic Documents" link on the home page once your order has been completed. Please make sure you have the latest version of Acrobat Reader. Click on the Acrobat Reader icon to check for the latest version, it’s FREE. To print a hardcopy of a PDF file correctly you must have a postscript printer. If you are not sure if your printer is a postscript printer please refer to your owner’s manual.

Purchase of electronic (downloadable) documents made at www.tappi.org by credit cards, followed by instant download CANNOT be cancelled. We do not offer refunds on electronic download documents.

ABSTRACT: Ring formation occurs in the rotary kilns used by the pulp and paper industry to regenerate the lime needed to produce white liquor. The main rings are: burning zone rings, mid-kiln rings, dust rings and/or mud balls, and mud rings. While the exact mechanisms of ring formation are not completely understood, frequent changes in the production rate and the mud solids, high soda content in the mud, and high levels of dust are believed to play a major role in ring formation. The presence of rings can restrict the movement of material through the kiln. If undetected, this can result in over-heating of the refractory lining. In the worst case, the presence of rings can lead to unscheduled downtime to clean out the ring and replace damaged refractory bricks. Depending on the severity, the cost of repairs and lost produc-tion can be in excess of US$3 million for a single event.Even if the root cause of ring formation is known, from a practical standpoint, it can be difficult to eliminate rings. In mills where ring formation is a recurring problem, mechanical ring removal systems should be considered. This paper describes the use of ring removal systems as a cost effective way to mitigate the problems associated with ring formation.

Application: Mills can use this information to determine if ring removal systems are appropriate for them. Also, the material can be used as a starting point to develop a project to select and install ring removal equipment.