Stickies Collection and Quantification within a Production Environment, 1994 Pulping Conference Proceedings

Mark J. Bittner

“Stickies are formed by many different materials and are considered to be one of the most problematic contaminants in the paper industry.”1 Stickie contaminants are not only cosmetically unappealing, but cause several functional problems for pulp and paper producers..including buildup in felts, wires and drier cans of paper machines. These reduce production levels and paper quality. Other downstream problems that can arise are web breaks and paper tears at the mill and at converting and printing sites2. The problem with stickies is further compounded by the fact that a standard testing procedure for the quantification of these stickies does not exist. Until a standard procedure is developed, Kieffer Paper Mills, Inc. felt it was necessary to develop a procedure which could be used in a production facility to generate reliable data regarding stickies contamination levels in the mill. This information would allow the mill to more effectively reduce stickies contamination in our pulp, by identifying furnish sources which have a high loading of stickies contaminants and by evaluating process modifications designed to increase the stickies removal capability of the deinking process.