Enzymatic Stickies Control in MOW, OCC, and ONP Furnishes, 2000 Pulping / Process & Product Quality Conference Proceedings

J. W. Fitzhenry, P. M. Hoekstra, D. Glover--Stickies remain as one of the major obstacles in the manufacture of quality paper using recycled fiber sources such as OCC, MOW, and ONP. A combination of proper water clarification, effective screening and cleaning practices, and low impact repulping will allow for the mechanical removal of a majority of stickies. However, stickie contaminants often remain in the process even after peak mechanical efficiencies for stickies removal are attained. The chemical control of stickies is the next tool for a papermaker’s use. Some new effective tools in this arena are enzymes.

Enzymes are gaining wider acceptance in the pulp and paper industry for a variety of applications such as pulp mill and paper machine boilouts, deposit control by dispersion of accumulated slime, pitch control, drainage assistance as well as other uses. A recent area of research involves using enzymes for the control of stickies. This paper describes laboratory work done in the search for an enzyme that will act on stickies. Evidence of action on stickies could be shown if the enzyme reduced either the size or the number of stickies. Laboratory data has provided this evidence. We will discuss work done on a number of different furnishes, and the effect of enzymes in reduction of stickies.