Technical Challenges of Making Better Paper - Preparing for the 21st Century, 1992 Engineering Conference Proceedings

Improved technology will allow higher production rates just as it always has. All operations on the paper machine will continue to intensify and this is expected to have some adverse effects on paper quality. To counteract this, we must continue developing paper machinery which helps produce more uniform paper at all dimensions, but particularly at submillimeter sizes--an important class about which we know too little. Before we can really attack these kinds of variations, however, we must first develop higher-resolution detection and control methods than now available. We can then address, on a small scale, important paper making challenges like fiber orientation, small particle distribution, forming mechanisms, paper surface stability, differential shrinkage effects, and hygroexpansivity effects and many others We must also appreciate that the really difficult paper quality problems are a result of complex interactions between the various parts of the paper machine and are not strictly attributable to any single operation Some paper defects resulting from these interactive effects cannot be reproduced in the laboratory or even on pilot equipment Carefully planned paper machine trials will eventually be required by those who wish to excel. To achieve timely success in a competitive environment, it is necessary to carry out both empirical and fundamental research in parallel, with each synergistically feeding into the other. This paper makes comments and raises some questions about a few of these issues as we move toward the 21st century.