Kanzake Team Efforts, 1998 Recycling Symposium Proceedings

Pressure sensitive adhesives are known to cause problems in fiber recovery systems and on paper making equipment in the manufacture of fine paper materials produced from recycled fibers. Sticky substances, when separated from paper fibers, may pass through forward cleaning screens, and dispersion may not be effective against preventing reagglomeration on the wire.

We sought to explore the friendliness of adhesive constructions with regards not only to repulping and papermaking operations, but to the environment in general, with particular considerations on the impact of water based acrylic emulsion pressure sensitive adhesives on fiber recovery and removal from recovered fine paper materials. We examined an adhesive which has been used in manufacture of postage stamps, and several other candidate adhesives which show initially high agglomerative properties, and aggressive adhesive characteristics. We found positive results with regards to removal of a standard postal adhesive, and several other candidates in a .006” slotted screen.

We also found that pressure sensitive laminates of this type are not generally harmful to the environment or living organisms.