Baggy Paper Webs: Effect of Uneven Moisture and Grammage Profiles in Different Process Steps
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Faculty of Technology and Science Chemical Engineering Cecilia Land Baggy paper webs: Effect of uneven moisture and grammage profiles in different process steps DISSERTATION Karlstad University Studies 2010:29 Cecilia Land Baggy paper webs: Effect of uneven moisture and grammage profiles in different process steps Karlstad University Studies 2010:29 Cecilia Land. Baggy paper webs: Effect of uneven moisture and grammage profiles in different process steps DISSERTATION Karlstad University Studies 2010:29 ISSN 1403-8099 ISBN 978-91-7063-320-1 © The Author Distribution: Karlstad University Faculty of Technology and Science Chemical Engineering 651 88 Karlstad Sweden +46 54 700 10 00 www.kau.se Printed at: Universitetstryckeriet, Karlstad 2010 Abstract One of the problems encountered in paper converting is caused by the occurrence of \baggy webs", which essentially is when the tension profile of the paper web is uneven. In an area with low tension the paper is longer, which results in bagginess. The baggy parts can not usually be stretched to even out the tension of the paper web in a converting machine, with the result that runnability problems are likely to occur. The aim of the work described in this thesis was to investigate three particular stages in papermaking, namely drying, calendering and storage, and rank them according to their propensity for inducing baggy webs. The focus was placed on investigating the effects of uneven moisture and grammage profiles on the machine-direction strain difference profile. The largest strain difference occurred when there were systematic thick streaks throughout a reel that formed ridges. Stress relaxation during storage then gave rise to a difference in MD strain of 0:14 % when the ridge height was around 2 − 3 mm. Thickness variations due to variations in grammage is also a source of moisture variation. A difference in moisture of 5 % in the calendering stage resulted in strain differ- ences of about 0:05 − 0:08 %. These strain differences resulted in creases being formed as early on as in the calender nip when differences in both grammage and moisture content were present. Most creases appeared when the moisture difference was 2 − 8 %. The difference in grammage could be large without creases being formed when no differences in moisture content were present. A moisture difference of about 5 − 6 % during drying resulted in a strain dif- ference of 0:1 % measured on isotropic samples. The moist area turned into a tight streak when the moisture difference appeared at moisture contents higher than 25 %. At moisture contents lower than 20 %, on the contrary, the moist area turned into a slack streak. The conclusion drawn is that papermakers should concentrate first and foremost on eliminating variations in grammage, especially if these are systematic. This would also eliminate some variations in moisture content, which would solve more problems. Keywords: bagginess, drying, calendering, grammage, moisture content, pa- per, profile, reels, softwood kraft pulp, storage, strain, streak, tension, web. i The author This thesis is available electronically on the Paper Technology website (http:// www.kau.se/en/paper-technology/baggy-webs) and on the Academic Archive, DiVA (http://www.diva-portal.org). ii List of Publications This thesis is based on the following papers: Paper I C. Land, T. Wahlstr¨omand L. Stolpe. Moisture streaks and their relation to baggy paper webs. J.Pulp Paper Sci., 34(4):234{239, 2008. Paper II C. Land, T. Wahlstr¨om,L. Stolpe and L. Beghello. Plastic strain of moisture streaks at different moisture contents. Accepted for publication in Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal. Paper III C. Land, L. Stolpe, T. Wahlstr¨omand L. Beghello. MD strain and bagginess due to calendering. Submitted to Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal. Paper IV C. Land, L. Stolpe and L. Beghello. Modeling of bagginess due to storage of paper reels with ridges. TAPPI J., 8(9):18{22, 2009. Paper V C. Land, J. Widstrand, T. Wahlstr¨om,L. Stolpe and L. Beghello. Bagginess due to storage of paper reels with artificially fabricated ridges. Submitted to TAPPI Journal. The published papers were reprinted with the permission of the journals in question. iii Related conference papers, not included in this thesis C. Land, L. Stolpe, T. Wahlstr¨omand L. Beghello. Baggy paper webs: an eval- uation of some suggested problem sources, Progress in Paper Physics Seminar, Montreal, Canada, 7{10 Jun. 2010. C. Land, E. Keiner and R. Konradsson. Bagginess and creasing in paper webs due to calendering. In Progress in Paper Physics Seminar 2008 Proceedings, p. 219{221, Espoo, Finland, 2{5 Jun. 2008. C. Land and H. H¨ogberg. Non-contact web tension profile measurement of baggy paper webs. In Progress in Paper Physics Seminar 2008 Proceedings, p. 133{136, Espoo, Finland, 2{5 Jun. 2008. Other non-related publications by the same author C. Land. Effect of web tension on load- and moisture-induced waviness. Nordic Pulp Paper Res.J., 20(2):237{241, 2005. C. Land. Laboratory method for the study of moisture-induced waviness in pa- per. Licentiate thesis, Karlstad University Studies 2004:42, Sweden, 2004. C. Land. Effect of moisture amount on HSWO waviness. In International Printing and Graphic Arts Conference 2004, p. 29{33, Vancouver, Canada, 4{6 Oct. 2004. Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada. M. F. C. Lucisano and C. Land. Characterizing the thermal properties of wet paper webs with a heat-pulse method, In Progress in Paper Physics Seminar 2002 Proceedings, p. 126{130, Syracuse, NY, USA, 8{13 Sept. 2002. iv Contents 1 Background 1 1.1 Baggy webs . 1 1.2 Paper . 3 1.2.1 The manufacture of paper . 3 1.2.2 Forming of a fibre network . 4 1.2.3 The structure of paper . 5 1.3 Web handling . 6 1.4 The runnability of paper . 8 1.5 Solving baggy web problems . 9 2 Aim 12 3 Methods 13 3.1 Length and strain measurements . 13 3.1.1 Cathetometer . 13 3.1.2 Speckle photography . 14 3.1.3 Slide calliper . 15 3.1.4 STFI thickness tester . 16 3.1.5 Dial gauge set-up . 17 3.1.6 Image analysis . 17 3.1.7 Summary . 18 3.2 Web tension measurements . 20 3.2.1 Web Tension Profile Analyzer (WTPA) . 20 4 Materials 23 5 Summary of the papers 24 5.1 Moist streaks during drying . 24 5.1.1 Paper I . 24 5.1.2 Paper II . 28 5.2 Calendering . 32 5.2.1 Paper III . 32 5.3 Ridges in reels . 36 5.3.1 Paper IV . 36 5.3.2 Paper V . 38 5.4 Summary . 41 6 General discussion 42 7 Conclusions 44 8 Suggestions for further research 45 v List of Figures 1 Examples of baggy paper webs. 1 2 Schematic diagram of a Fourdrinier paper machine. 3 3 Activation of a fibre segment during drying. 4 4 Typical load-strain curves for paper. 5 5 Schematic diagram showing the use of a spreading roll. 10 6 Cathetometer with eyepiece and digital display. 14 7 The random pattern used for the speckle photography measure- ments. 15 8 STFI thickness tester. 16 9 Schematic diagram of the dial gauge set-up. 17 10 WTPA measuring beam. 20 11 WTPA measurement principle. 21 12 Set-up for drying paper on laboratory scale. 24 13 Strain profiles after drying and unloading. 25 14 Tensile stiffness profiles for two levels of prescribed strain. 27 15 Wet paper strips made using a mould. 28 16 Plastic strain after loading to a total strain and unloading. 29 17 Contour plot of the strain difference arising due to moisture con- tent and moisture difference. 30 18 Moisture profile and strain profile in a sack paper machine. 31 19 Possible reasons for uneven calendering compression profile. 32 20 The MD strain due to calendering as a function of the moisture content. 33 21 A typical creasing pattern found in samples with uneven gram- mage and moisture profiles. 34 22 Visual rating of creasing as a function of MD strain difference. 35 23 A paper reel with ridges. 36 24 The calculated strain difference as a function of the ridge height. 37 25 A reel with a ridge of aluminium foil. 38 26 A slack streak made by a ridge of polyethylene film. 38 27 The strain difference between the ridge and the rest of the reel. 39 28 The strain-at-break in the ridge and beside the ridge as a function of the MD position in the reel. 40 List of Tables 1 Specifications of machine precision required. 9 2 Standard deviation of the different methods used to measure length. 18 3 Mechanical properties in the MD of the papers tested. 23 4 Types of calendering experiments. 33 5 Summary of strain differences due to different irregularities. 41 vi 1 Background 1.1 Baggy webs Figure 1: Examples of baggy paper webs with tight streaks (above) and a tight edge (below). A perfect paper web is absolutely flat. It is able to run smoothly through various converting machines that make sacks, printed matter or other paper products. Sometimes, however, the \baggy web" phenomenon occurs and causes problems. Baggy webs have both slack and taut parts, which can cause runnability prob- lems in the converting process. Bagginess may manifest itself in the form of slack streaks, a baggy edge or a tight edge (Figure 1). Regardless of the distribution of bagginess in the web, baggy webs have three characteristics in common: - An uneven tension profile - Uneven length and strain profiles - Out-of-plane buckling (at low tension) 1 These three characteristics are three manifestations of the same problem.