Polyalkylene Oxide Polymer Starch Fixation in Papermaking
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for fixing starch components in papermaking process water are inefficient, leading to increased contamination, foaming, and wastewater treatment loads due to the limited adsorption of starch on suspended solids and the challenges posed by nonionic or weakly anionic starch in forming ionic bonds with cationic chemical agents.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the addition of a polymer with a polyalkylene oxide moiety to papermaking process water, which insolubilizes starch through hydrogen bonding, allowing it to be effectively fixed on papermaking raw materials, thereby enhancing paper strength and reducing wastewater contamination and treatment loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cationic chemical agents are added to fix starch on suspended solids, then starch fixation is improved, but the effectiveness is limited because most starch is nonionic or weakly anionic and cannot form ionic bonds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the fixation agent from cationic (ionic) to having polyalkylene oxide moieties (nonionic hydrogen bonding capability). This parameter change enables the agent to interact with nonionic or weakly anionic starch through hydrogen bonding instead of ionic bonds, significantly improving fixation effectiveness for the majority of starch components that were previously unreachable
Solution Approach 2:
The polyalkylene oxide moieties act as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the gap between the fixation agent and nonionic/weakly anionic starch. The hydrogen bonding capability of the polyalkylene oxide groups provides a new interaction pathway that allows effective fixation without requiring ionic charges on the starch molecules
2Quantity of substance
If physical adsorption methods are used to fix starch on suspended solids, then some starch fixation occurs, but the amount of starch adsorbed is limited and dissolved starch remains in process water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fixation mechanism from physical adsorption to hydrogen bonding interaction. This parameter change in the interaction mechanism enables significantly higher starch fixation capacity, allowing the chemical agent to bind with and remove dissolved starch that physical adsorption methods cannot effectively capture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a polymer structure with polyalkylene oxide moieties that replicates and enhances the natural hydrogen bonding interactions. This copied mechanism, based on the hydrogen bonding capability of polyalkylene oxide chains, provides a scalable and effective method for fixing large amounts of starch across the papermaking process
3Reliability
If increased amounts of chemical agents are used to fix more starch, then starch fixation improves, but production costs and chemical agent usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical nature of the fixation agent to polyalkylene oxide-based polymers, which provide superior starch-binding capability per unit mass. This parameter change in chemical composition allows achieving the same or better fixation effectiveness with reduced chemical agent dosage, improving both efficiency and reducing chemical consumption
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly increases paper strength, yield, and the fixation of chemical agents, suppresses foaming, and decreases wastewater treatment loads by efficiently insolubilizing and fixing starch on papermaking raw materials, reducing microorganism nutrients and chemical agent usage.
Implementation Method 1
A method involving the addition of a polymer with a polyalkylene oxide moiety to papermaking process water, which insolubilizes starch through hydrogen bonding
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method for producing paper that enables to fix an increased amount of starch components contained in papermaking process water to a papermaking raw material (suspended solid: SS) contained in the papermaking process water, and enables (1) enhancement of the strength of paper, (2) reduction in the contamination of the papermaking process water by microorganisms, etc., (3) suppression of the foaming of the papermaking process water, (4) decrease in the load of the waste water treatment, etc. The method comprises a step of adding a polymer having a polyalkylene oxide moiety to papermaking process water containing SS containing a papermaking raw material and unfixed starch. At this time, the concentration of SS contained in the papermaking process water is 100 mg/L or more, the concentration of the unfixed starch is 10 mg/L or more, and the salt viscosity of the polymer is 3 mPa·s or more.