Effect of Fillers on Paper Friction Properties, 1991 Papermakers Conference Proceedings

The demand by printers for larger rolls in recent years has greatly increased the importance of paper friction properties. This property affects reel building as well as successful operation in many of today’s pressrooms.

While a variety of factors including wood species, pulping process, and washing influence paper friction properties, the influence that fillers have on paper coefficient of friction (COF) is not widely understood. To establish the impact of fillers, several types, including hydrous kaolin, calcined kaolin, talc, as well as, synthetic precipitated silica and silicate (PSS) pigments, were studied using the horizontal plane method of friction measurement. Using a combination of handsheet and on-machine data. a high degree of correlation was found between the sheet kinetic coefficient of friction and filler properties. Key filler properties such as pigment surface area and porosity were determined to have a major effect on friction development. Sheet friction increases as pigment surface area and porosity increase. The results provide clear evidence of the ability of porous high absorption synthetic PSS pigments to dramatically alter paper friction properties.