(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2007/0169903 A1 Covarrubias Et Al
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US 2007 O1699.03A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2007/0169903 A1 CoVarrubias et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jul. 26, 2007 (54) PAPERMAKING PROCESSES USING Publication Classification COAGULANTS AND OPTICAL BRIGHTENERS (51) Int. Cl. D21H 17/29 (2006.01) (76) Inventors: Rosa M. Covarrubias, Memphis, D2 IIHI 2D/30 (2006.01) TN (US); Gary A. Headrick, D2 IIHI 23/02 (2006.01) Memphis, TN (US); Alan B. D2 IIH I7/00 (2006.01) Rosenberg, Lakeland, TN (US) D2 IIH 2L/00 (2006.01) Correspondence Address: (52) U.S. Cl. ......... 162/158; 162/175; 162/162; 162/183 KILYK & BOWERSOX, P.L.L.C. 400 HOLIDAY COURT, SUITE 102 WARRENTON, VA 20186 (57) ABSTRACT (21) Appl. No.: 11/657,306 A method of making paper or paperboard is described, which includes introducing at least one charged starch, (22) Filed: Jan. 24, 2007 preferably having a degree of Substitution greater than 0.045, and at least one optical brightening agent to a Related U.S. Application Data papermaking pulp and then forming the pulp into paper or (60) Provisional application No. 60/761,913, filed on Jan. paperboard. The present invention further describes methods 25, 2006. of improving optical brightener performance. CHEST CHEST OBA STARCH = REFINER Patent Application Publication Jul. 26, 2007 Sheet 1 of 4 US 2007/0169903 A1 ZINIHOVW|<— JLS@HHO I"OIH CIN?TA JLSGHHO HORIVILSV8IO Patent Application Publication Jul. 26, 2007 Sheet 2 of 4 US 2007/0169903 A1 Z*OIH YHOENIHETH= CINEITISH JLSGHHO Patent Application Publication Jul. 26, 2007 Sheet 3 of 4 US 2007/0169903 A1 67 6664.56 6 3 62 Blank OBA OBA+7 OBA14 OBA-7 OBA-14 b/ton 5521 lb?ton 5521 lb?ton 5567 Ib?ton 5567 Figure 3. ISO brightness of the handsheet samples with OBA and cationic starches BFL5521 and BFL 5567. Patent Application Publication Jul. 26, 2007 Sheet 4 of 4 US 2007/0169903 A1 Figure 4. Fluorescence image of the handsheet samples. 15 lbfton OBA 15 lbfton OBA + 7 lb/ton BFL5521 15 b/ton OBA + 14 lb/ton BFL 5521 15 lbfton OBA + 7 lb/ton BFL 5567 5 lb?ton OBA + 14 lb/ton BFL 5567 US 2007/01 69903 A1 Jul. 26, 2007 PAPERMAKING PROCESSES USING paper machine system, to compensate for this dullness COAGULANTS AND OPTICAL occurring with the use of traditional coagulants. BRIGHTENERS 0005. The coagulants are also typically added at the wet end stage of the papermaking process either to a thick Stock or a thin Stock feed location. 0001. This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 0006 Thus, there is a need for a new papermaking S119(e) of prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. process that avoids this dulling effect caused by traditional 60/761,913, filed Jan. 25, 2006, which is incorporated in its coagulants. Further, there is a need to develop a process that entirety by reference herein. will permit the use of optical brighteners without the need to provide an additional amount of optical brighteners to BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION compensate for the use of coagulants during the papermak 0002 The present invention relates to papermaking pro ing process. cesses and products made from these processes. More par 0007. A feature of the present invention is to provide a ticularly, the present invention relates to treating papermak method of making paper or paperboard which preferably ing pulp with at least one charged starch, Such as does not dull the effects of optical brightening agents. cationically-charged starches, and one or more optical 0008 A further feature of the present invention is to brighteners. provide a method which permits the reduction in the amount 0003 Optical brighteners or optical brightening agents of optical brightening agents and yet achieves satisfactory (OBAs) and Fluorescent Whitening Agents (FWAS) are brightness and/or paper fluorescence intensity in the paper or typically used in certain papermaking processes in order to paperboard. increase or improve the brightness of paper or paperboard and/or to increase or improve the paper fluorescence inten 0009. Additional features and advantages of the present sity. OBA/FWA products may be added at the size press with invention will be set forth in part in the description that other additives. Other certain OBA/FWAS may be added in follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or the wet end of the paper making process. The present may be learned by practice of the present invention. The invention relates, in part, to increasing the retention and/or objectives and other advantages of the present invention will the efficiency of OBAS/FWAS, whether present from wet end be realized and attained by means of the elements and addition of OBA or OBA present in the broke (contains combinations particularly pointed out in the description and recycled paper), as well as not quenching or dulling the appended claims. impact of OBA from any source, on the paper machine and 0010. To achieve these and other advantages, and in in the final sheet of paper. Many consumers prefer paper accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as with a high brightness, and the brightness of the paper is embodied and broadly described herein, the present inven typically promoted as one important parameter to consumers tion relates to a method of making paper or paperboard of paper products. In order to achieve the brightness in which involves introducing at least one ionically-charged paper, especially papers having a high brightness, such as starch (preferably with a degree of substitution above 0.045) over 80%, one or more optical brighteners or optical bright and at least one optical brightening agent to a papermaking ening agents are added during the papermaking process. pulp to form a treated pulp. The treated pulp can then be These optical brighteners can be quite expensive and raise formed into a paper or paperboard product. The ionically the overall cost of the paper product. This can be seen by any charged starch and the optical brightening agent can be consumer purchasing paper. For instance, there can be a added in any order. For instance, the starch can be added to significant cost difference between a paper having a bright the thin stock and the optical brightening agent can be added ness of 80% compared to a brightness of 96%. to the thick stock, the OBA can be added to the thin stock, 0004 Typically, optical brightening agents are added to thick stock, or both, and/or the starch can be added to the the wet end process, or to the size press or to both the wet thin stock, thick stock, or both. end and to the size press within the papermaking process. In 0011. The present invention further relates to a method of typical papermaking processes, coagulants and flocculants improving optical brightener performance by using at least are further used during the papermaking process in order to one ionically-charged starch (preferably with a degree of obtain desirable pulp characteristics, paper characteristics, substitution above 0.045) and at least one optical brighten and paper machine retention and runnability. Typically, ing agent and adding these components to a papermaking coagulants neutralize system charge and assists the pulp pulp to form a treated pulp and then forming the treated pulp fibers, fines, fillers and functional additives to electrostati into a paper or paperboard. cally coagulate together retaining them in the sheet and to form a more uniform paper product. Traditional coagulants 0012. The present invention further relates to paper or include polyaminoamido glycol, polyethylene imine, paperboard which can be obtained by one or more of the polyamine, polydadmac, alum and polyaluminum chloride. methods of the present invention. While coagulants are necessary to produce paper having 0013. It is to be understood that both the foregoing Suitable characteristics, many of these coagulants, unfortu general description and the following detailed description nately, affect in a negative way, the optical brighteners are exemplary and explanatory only and are intended to previously added. In particular, traditional coagulants can provide a further explanation of the present invention, as dull the affect of optical brighteners, thus reducing the paper claimed. ISO brightness and/or reducing the paper fluorescence inten 0014. The accompanying drawings, which are incorpo sity. As a result, paper manufacturers have typically added rated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate more optical brighteners, particularly in the wet end of the several embodiments of the present invention and together US 2007/01 69903 A1 Jul. 26, 2007 with the description, serve to explain at least one or more the charged Starches has a degree of Substitution ranging principals of the present invention. from about 0.045 to about 0.5, such as from about 0.07 to about 0.45 or from about 0.10 to about 0.40, or from about BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 0.15 to about 0.4. Other degrees of substitution above and 0015 FIGS. 1 and 2 are flow charts showing a paper below these ranges can be used. Generally, a degree of making process according to one or more embodiments of substitution above 0.045 is preferred and can be used. The the present invention. degree of Substitution can be above 0.4 and higher degrees 0016 FIG. 3 is a bar graph comparing various hand sheet of substitution will benefit the present invention. Preferred samples with optical brightening agents with or without cationic starches include, but are not limited to, potato starches, corn starches, and other wet-end starches, or com cationic starches and measuring the resulting ISO bright binations thereof.