Finishing

Kristian Goldszer
Papermaking Course Montevideo
Part II – Paper Processes
March 19 – 21, 2009

Sources: Metso Paper, KnowPap, Cepatec AB, Skogsindustrierna

Finishing

• Calendering

• Coating

• Reeling

2
Objectives of Calendering

• Pre Calendering
– Controls caliper profile
– Controls bulk
– Creates a good smooth surface for coating
– Controls porosity – dewatering of coating

• Finish Calendering
– Creates gloss
– Creates smoothness
– Improves the printing properties

3
Effects on Paper Properties

Desirable Changes + = increases

• Smoothness +++
• Gloss +++ - = decreases
• Oil absorption --
• Air porosity ---
• Two-sidedness --

Undesirable Changes
• Density +++
• Thickness ---
• Stiffness ---
• Compressibility ---
• Opacity --
• Brightness -
• Tear strength --

4
Effect of Coating and Calendering

Base paper Coated paper Coated and

calendered paper 5
Calendering Process Variables

• The main parameters that contributes to the calendering result are:

– Pressure
– Loading
– Roll hardness and dimension

– Temperature
– Web
– Roll

– Web Moisture
– Water
– Steam

– Time
– Machine speed
– Nip length
– Number of nips 6
Specific Pressure

[kN/m]

Specific pressure [MPa]

[mm]

Nip width

δ max ) = Linear load (kN/m)

Specific Pressure (δ
Nip width (mm)
7
Specific Pressure and Nip Width
100 kN/m 100 kN/m 100 kN/m

Nip width 1-2 mm Nip width 10-20 mm Nip width 30-250 mm

Max nip pressure 80 Mpa Max nip pressure 40 MPa Max nip pressure 10 MPa

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Effect of Linear Load

9
Effect of Temperature

• The higher the temperature, the easier it is to plasticize the paper

• Lignin and hemi cellulose soften

10
Effect of Moisture

• The softening temperatures of lignin and hemi cellulose drop as the

moisture content increases

11
Effect of Machine Speed

12
Effect of Number of Nips

13
14
Calendering Mechanisms

• Compression of the web

– Paper hills are compressed more
Smoothness

than valleys
• Transferring and polishing
– Material transferred from the hills to
the valleys. Plastic deformation or
particles getting loose.
• Orientation
– Oblong and flat particles are settled
along the surface
• Reproduction
Gloss

– Surface pattern of the roll is

reproduces to the paper

15
Micro and Macro Roughness

• Micro roughness is the unevenness

of the paper surface and is removed
by plasticizing factors:
– Temperature
– Moisture

• Macro roughness is the thickness

variation of the paper and is removed
by mechanical pressing 1. Micro and macro roughness
of the paper

2. Micro roughness is removed

3. Micro and macro roughness

are removed
16
Calender Types

• Hard Calender

• Soft Calender

• Long Nip Calender

• Multi Nip Calender

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Hard Calender

• Metal rolls
• Narrow nip
• Short dwell time in nip
• High maximum pressure

• Used for:
– pre and final calendering of board
– final calendering of news

18
Soft Calender

• At least one of the rolls forming the nip is a soft cover roll
• Can replace a hard calender in all applications
• More even density profile

19
Comparison of Hard and Soft Calender

20
Long Nip Calender

• Especially for board

• Excellent smoothness with reduced loss of bulk

21
Long Nip versus Soft Calendering

22
Nip Load – Soft Calender versus Long Nip Calender

• Shoe calender has much higher potential in treating the sheet surface
than a soft roll calender due to lower pressure and longer dwell time

15

Soft Calender
Nip Pressure (MPa)

Nip dwell times based on speed 700 m/min

70 mm shoe length
Long-Nip Calender
5

0 1.3 Nip Dwell Time (ms) 6 23

More Effective Heat Transfer - Melts the Surface

Soft calendered 250 °C Shoe calendered 250 °C

24
Calender Type – Bulk versus Printability

25
New Technology – Metal Belt Calender

26
Multi Nip Calender

• Mainly for printing papers

• Densifies the web, in particularly the surface

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Coating

• Paper and Board are coated in order to improve printability

• Coating impacts Paper and Board surface in the following way:

– Improved smoothness => more uniform print result

– Increased porosity in the surface layer => uniform colour

absorption

– Increased opacity => less risk for print through

– Improved brightness

– Increased gloss
28
Coated Products

29
Main Coating Processes

• Two principles:
– Application of coating colour in excess, ≈ 200 g/m2, metering of
excess coating colour to final amount, 5 – 30 g/m2
– Pre-metered amount corresponding to desired coat weight is
applied to the substrate to be coated

• Drying:
– IR – dryer
– Air dryer
– Cylinder dryer

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Coating Colour

• Pigments, 80 – 95 %
• Binders, 5 – 20 %
• Additives, 1 – 2 %

• Solids content = 40 – 60 %
• Viscosity ≈ 1200 mPas

• Base Layer: • Top Layer:

– Coarse pigments
– Coverage important
– Improve smoothness
– Even out brightness
– Affect colour absorption
– Fine pigments
– Increase gloss
– Increase brightness
– Improve smoothness
– Desired colour absorption

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Pigments

• Pigment particles shall be smaller than 15 µm

• High light scattering coefficient is positive for brightness and opacity:

– Refractive index shall be high

– Small particles with high specific surface gives a layer with high
porosity and thereby a high amount of light scattering surfaces

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Demands on Pigments

• Compatible with other substances in coating colour

• Easy to disperse in water and good runnability

• Low average particle size

• Low binder demand

• Not wearing

• Low price

33
Important Pigments

Clay
• 70 – 75 % < 2 µm
• High viscosity High Aspect Ratio => Gloss
• High Aspect Ratio, 25 - 40
• Gloss. smoothness
• Good coverability => used for low
coat weights such as LWC, ULWC

Calcium Carbonate
• 90 % < 2 µm
• Irregular spherical particles
• Low Aspect Ratio, 3 - 7
• Rougher and duller surface
• Brightness, opacity
• Higher pigment brightness than clay,
but not the same coverage
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Important Pigments

• Calcined Clay
– 75 – 95 % < 2 µm
– Lower density
– Higher light scattering
– Brightness , Opacity

• Titanium Dioxide
– Used together with other pigment, 5 – 15 %
– Very high refractive index and small particles, 0.3 – 0.4 µm
– Brightness , Opacity

• Plastic pigments
– Gloss, Opacity
35
Clay Calcium Carbonate

36
Clay Versus GCC (Ground Calcium Carbonate)

37
Function of Binder in Coating Colour

38
Important Binders

• Latex
– Styrene Butadiene
– Styrene Acrylate
– PvAc

• Starch
– Low Binder Cost
– High Binding Power
– Good Water Retention
– Reduces Solids Content of Total Mix
– Increased Risk for Uneven Binder Migration

39
Important Binders

• Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH)

– Water Retention Aid
– High Binding Power
– Excellent Carrier of Optical Brightener

• Carboxy Methyle Cellulose ( CMC )

– Water Retention Aid
– Binder
– Viscosity Control
– Good Carrier of Optical Brightener

40
Additives

• Dispersants
– NaPa
– Increases viscosity
• Wet Strength Agent
– Harden coating, cross link binders
– Ammonium Zirconium Carbonate
– Glyoxale
– Melamine Formaldehyde Resins
• Lubricant
– Ammonium Stearate
• Optical Brightener
• Biocide
– Prevent bacterial growth
– Glutharaldehyde
• Defoamer

41
Coating Processes

• Excess Processes
– Roll application
– Jet application
– Short dwell time application (SDTA)

42
Roll Application

• Application pressure = 0.5 – 4 Bar

• Dwell time = 15 – 75 ms
• Applicator roll:
– Rubber covered
– Diameter 25 % of backing roll
– Speed, 25 % of machine speed
• 0.5 – 2 mm gap between applicator roll
and substrate to be coated
• Dewatering controlled by pressure in
high speeds and by dwell time in low
speeds

43
Jet Application

• Application pressure = 1 Bar

• Dwell time = 15 – 75 ms
• Dewatering controlled by dwell time

44
Short Dwell Time Application

• Application pressure = 1 Bar

• Dwell time = 1.25 – 6.25 ms
• Dewatering controlled by
dwell time

45
Blade Coating

• Most frequently used coating method

The coating evens out irregularities
• Machine speeds up to 2000 m/min in the base paper – filling in method
• High solids content, 62 – 67 %
• Blades are 0.4 – 0.5 mm thick and 75 mm wide
• Gives a uniform surface
• Stiff or bent blade

46
Blade Coating

• The coat weight is controlled by

applying a blade pressure
• Important with constant blade
angle for uniformity

• For stiff blades the coat weight

decreases with increased
pressure and vice versa

• Stiff blades for high speed

machines with low coat weight
• Bent blades for low speed
machines with high coat weight

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Roll Blade

• Alternative to blade for pre-coating of board

• Coat weight controlled with a rubber hose behind the rod blade that
controls the pressure
• Coat weight not as sensitive to pressure changes as blade coating
• Higher roughness compared to blade coating
• Solids content around 3 – 5 % lower than for blade coating

The coating follows the contour of

the base paper – contour method

48
Air Knife

• Excess coating colour is metered with an air jet

• Excess coating colour is collected in a vacuum box
• Earlier common for top coating of board
• Low solids content, 40 – 45 %
• Low speeds, 400 – 500 m/min
• Speed limitation is main reason for replacing air knifes with blade

The coating follows the contour of

the base paper – contour method

49
Metered Size Press (MSP)

• A pre-metered amount of the coating colour is dosed on a transfer roll

• The transfer of the colour takes place in the nip between transfer roll
and backing roll
• The transfer roll is covered with rubber or polyurethane
• Dosing of coating colour using SDTA init with roll blade
• Used for surface sizing and coating
• Restricted to low coat weights, 6 – 10 g/m2
• Contour coating method

50
Drying of Coating Colour
• IR – Drying
– electrically or gas heated
– normally 1st stage
– evaporation rate 100 – 140 kg/h,m2

• Hot Air Drying

– steam or gas heated
– evaporation rate 35 – 160 kg/h,m2

• Cylinder Drying
– coating surface must be non sticking
– final drying
– evaporation rate 10 – 15 kg/h,m2

• Water 30 - 35 % of total coating composition

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Coated White Top Liner

52
Liquid Packaging Board

53
Light Weight Coated

54
Reeling

• Production of large diameter parent

rolls for further processing in the mill:
– Calendering
– Coating
– Winding to customer roll
– Sheeting to customer sheets

55
Roll Requirements

• Correct roll dimensions

– Diameter (also cross CD)
– Weight
– Web length
• Round rolls
– Core in centre
– Avoid vibrations
• Straight roll edges
– In further processing
– Storing
• Good roll structure
– Hardness and roll tension
• Clean and dust free

56
Reeling Processes
• The reeling process includes the following processes:
1. Web control before reeling
2. Reeling
3. Reel change
4. Reel handling

We control
– web inspection
– web tension Reeling
– machine speed – roll structure
– vibrations

Reel change Reel handling

– deceleration – coating
– stopping – calendering
– moving – storage 57
– converting
Reeling Variables
Torque
• Line pressure
– Controls roll hardness
– Should be minimized
Line pressure
• Web tension
– Effects outer layers
Web tension

• Torque
– Only for reels with center
drive torque
– Increases tolerance for
line pressure

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Roll Structure

Hardness
Radius

• The first layers are wound as hard as required to prevent slippage

between the layers
• The hardness decreases continuously from the intermediate zone to
the surface

59
 Effect of Line Pressure on Roll Structure
Line pressure between roll and reel drum

• Constant Pressure
→ bad roll structure

• Controlled Pressure Reel

→ good roll structure

Reel

60
Effect on Paper Properties of Reeling
• Line pressure, web tension and internal tensions effects paper
properties
• The effect is high close to the core and low at the surface

Property Result

Thickness Decreases
Stiffness Decreases
Bulk Decreases
Roughness Decreases
Gloss Increases
Porosity Decreases

61
Reel Types – Pope

Peripheral drive

• Simple model suitable for:

– Small rolls
– Qualities that are insensitive to
line pressure
– Compressible paper

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Turn Up – Pope

Nip load

• High initial nip load due to reel spool weight

• Hard to control nip load in transfer from primary- to secondary arms
• Sudden increase in nip load at transfer
63
Reel Types – Center Drive Torque
Center drive torque

• Advantages with center drive torque:

– Bigger rolls
– Better roll structure
– Bigger tolerance to variations in line pressure

64
Turn – Up Methods

• Common methods:
– Tape
– Gooseneck
– Water – Jet

• Choice depends on:

– Grade
– Operating speed
– Web width
– Reel type

65
Water Jet Turn-Up
Pick-up air blow

WJ beam

Nip
Reel drum

High speed operation,

• Water pressure max 2000 bar tail cutting and turn-up
with air blow
66
Gooseneck Turn-Up

Gooseneck blow pipe

1 Middle blow pipe

2 Side blow pipes

Web slasher
2 2
1

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Tape Turn-Up 1. Control panel
2. Tape feeding and cutting
unit
3. Tape transfer rail
4. End of the tape
5. Break
6. Empty reel spool in the
primary arms
7. The tape is fed into the
nip and the tape sticks
onto the reel spool
8. The tape cuts and guides
the tail around the reel
spool

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