Novel mineral concepts for pitch and stickies control, TAPPICon26

Pitch and stickies continue to pose significant technical and economic challenges in papermaking, particularly under modern operating conditions that involve higher proportions of recycled fiber and increasingly closed water circuits. Traditional talc-based control strategies are effective but face growing limitations related to performance consistency, cost, and regulatory pressure. This study evaluates a new generation of calcium carbonate–based mineral concepts designed to offer a sustainable, high-efficiency alternative for mitigating tacky contaminants across a range of industrially relevant fiber furnishes. The investigation combines laboratory methods—turbidity, image-analysis-based macro- and microstickies measurements, and a flow cytometer protocol tailored for colloidal and hydrophobic particle assessment—with a mill trial in deinked recycled pulp. Results demonstrate that the engineered ground calcium carbonate (GCC) formulation achieves comparable or superior removal of macro- and microstickies relative to an incumbent mineral reference system. Flow cytometry and turbidity data further indicate that the new material promotes the formation of smaller, less tacky, and more stable particulate species, reducing the tendency for large agglomerates that cause deposits. Together, the findings validate calcium carbonate–based minerals as viable next-generation pitch and stickies control agents and highlight the value of advanced analytical methods for characterizing dissolved and colloidal substances. These novel mineral solutions support mills in transitioning away from talc while maintaining process stability, improving product quality, and advancing environmental compliance.

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