Anionic Lipohydrophilic Glycerol Polymer Pitch Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

The deposition of organic contaminants such as pitch and stickies in papermaking processes leads to reduced throughput, sheet quality issues, and costly downtime due to their hydrophobic nature and tendency to form deposits on equipment, which existing detackifiers do not adequately address.

Innovation Solution

The use of an anionic lipohydrophilic glycerol-based polymer, which is branched or cyclic, with specific chemical modifications to enhance its interaction with hydrophobic contaminants, is added to the papermaking process to control the deposition of pitch and stickies by stabilizing them in water and reducing their tackiness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If existing detackifiers are used to address pitch and stickies deposition, then some deposition control is achieved, but the deposition reduction is insufficient and does not meet the 5% to 95% reduction target

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeposition of pitch and stickiesVSAvoideffectiveness of detackification
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the chemical structure of glycerol-based polymers by introducing anionic groups (such as carboxylates, sulfonates, phosphates) and lipophilic groups, changing the physical and chemical parameters of the detackifier to enhance its effectiveness in reducing pitch and stickies deposition by 5% to 95%

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite molecular structure combining hydrophilic glycerol backbone with lipophilic side chains and anionic groups, enabling the detackifier to simultaneously interact with hydrophobic contaminants and stabilize in aqueous papermaking environments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If detackifiers are added to passivate pitch and sticky particles, then surface adhesion is reduced, but the stabilization of the complex in water is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetackiness of pitch and stickiesVSAvoidstability of pitch-detackifier complex in water
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dual functionality in the detackifier molecule: anionic groups provide water solubility and electrostatic stabilization, while lipophilic groups provide adhesion to hydrophobic contaminants, achieving both tackiness reduction and complex stabilization simultaneously

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If pitch and stickies are present in papermaking furnish, then organic contaminants are introduced, but their hydrophobic nature causes instability and deposition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconcentration of organic contaminantsVSAvoidcolloidal stability in aqueous environment
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The anionic lipophilic glycerol-based polymer acts as a mediator between hydrophobic pitch/stickies and the aqueous papermaking environment, with its lipophilic groups binding to contaminants and anionic groups providing hydrophilic stabilization, preventing deposition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If deposits form on machine wires, felts, and screens, then throughput is reduced, but cleaning downtime increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethroughput of papermaking processVSAvoiddowntime for cleaning
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The detackifier is added to the papermaking furnish before the contaminants can deposit on equipment surfaces, passivating the pitch and stickies in advance and preventing adhesion to machine wires, felts, and screens, thereby maintaining continuous throughput without cleaning interruptions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2938781B1Anionic lipophilic glycerol-based polymers for organic deposition control in papermaking processes
Publication Date: 2018.05.30 NALCO CO
  • EP2938781B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2938781B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2938781B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention is directed to methods and compositions for reducing the deposition of pitches and stickies in a papermaking process. The method involves introducing an anionic glycerol-based polymer to the papermaking process. This anionic polymer prevents the pitches and stickies from depositing and agglomarting in papermaking processes.