Performance of Different Retention Aids in Old Corrugated Container Furnishes, 1999 Recycling Symposium Proceedings

Yufeng Xu, Yulin Deng

Addition of filler in linerboard has been receiving increasing attention in recent years because filler can improve the appearance and printability of the final products, save fibers, and especially, contribute to stickies and wax control in recycled fiber mills. In this paper, the retention of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) in recycled old corrugated container (OCC)furnishes using different retention systems was studied. Filler and fines retention were determined with a Britt Jar (DDJ). The results showed that, among the retention systems examined in this study, the high-molecular weight (8 million g/mole) poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)together with cofactor of phenolic formaldehyde resin (PFR) is the most effective, and the anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) alone is the least effective. The efficiency of dual system of cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) and bentonite can be enhanced significantly by the pre-addition of a low molecular weight, high charge coagulant.