Elvanol™ in the Paper Industry

Bringing paper to life ELVANOL™ IN THE PAPER INDUSTRY

THE PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGES OF KURARAY ELVANOL™ PVOH

BARRIER PROPERTIES Resistant to oil, grease and water ENVIRONMENTAL Lower BOD than starch FILM STRENGTH Tensile = 9,000 psi (vs 600 psi EASE OF PREPARATION Can be batch or jet cooked; for starch) or co-cooked with hot-water- BINDING CAPACITY 3 times the capacity of starch soluble polymers 2.5 times the capacity of synthetic latex

Because of its outstanding film strength, barrier properties and binding capacity, ELVANOL™ polyvinyl alcohol enjoys wide use in the manufacture of paper and paperboard. Kuraray manufacture ELVANOL™ PVOH in a number of specialized grades offering a range of useful performance features and convenient processing characteristics. Reviewed inside are some of the most common uses for ELVANOL™ in this industry, as well as frequently used product grades and typical application methods. ELVANOL™ in the Paper Industry

SURFACE PROPERTIES Surface Printing IMPROVED BY ELVANOL™ ELVANOL™ gives paper and paperboard excellent printability, smoothness and print gloss. The oil and solvent resistant The use of ELVANOL™ in size press and calender stack enhanc- properties keep ink from penetrating into the paper and allow es drastically the strength and barrier properties of paper. clear, glossy printing with outstanding print clarity.

Surface Barrier APPLICATIONS WITH PIGMENTS ELVANOL™ polyvinyl alcohol is one of the strongest water- OR OPTICAL BRIGHTENERS borne film formers commercially available for the paper industry. It is chemically resistant to oil, grease, wax, organic Pigmented Size Press solvents, and shows high water resistance. The grade of ELVA- ELVANOL™ is an effective binder in coating formulations at NOL™ selected is governed by the end-use properties needed, the size press. Because of its binding power, ELVANOL™ can be application equipment, and post-dryer capabilities of the pa- used to replace starch on a 1-to-3 basis. per machine or off-machine coater. ELVANOL™ is for example With the incorporation of ELVANOL™ and reduced level of an excellent carrier for fluorochemicals in oil and grease binder in the pigmented size, the optical and surface proper- barrier applications. ties are improved over a clearsize, uncoated sheet.

ELVANOL™ 70-06, 90-50 and 71-30 are fully hydrolyzed grades The following advantages have been demonstrated using that give superior water resistance. The water resistance of ELVANOL™ in pigmented size applications: ELVANOL™ grades can be further improved using conventional crosslinking agents like salts of multivalent ions, aminoplast ▪▪ Excellent way to optimize costs for fillers or fibres resins and aldehyde derivatives. ▪▪ Improved opacity and brightness ▪▪ Improved drying and uniformity of moisture profile Surface Strength ▪▪ Reduced calendar loading to achieve surface smoothness Films made of ELVANOL™ are much stronger than those made ▪▪ Uniform ink receptivity, reduces two-sidedness of starch alone. ELVANOL™ based surface sizes with concen- ▪▪ Reduced binder reduces mottle trations as low as 10 percent provide a surface that resists ▪▪ Economical method to reduce sheet porosity surface abrasion and cracking and improves folding and ▪▪ Holdout and smoothness to the topcoat bursting strength. ▪▪ Coatings Surfaces sized with starch that need scuff resistance or surface pick resistance will benefit from incorporating ELVANOL™. ELVANOL™ has stronger binding power than acrylic latex, The strong film with excellent binding properties ties the styrene butadiene, soy protein, casein, and starches. It can fibers and the surface debris to the paper or paperboard sur- therefore be used in paper coating formulations to partially face to reduce linting and dusting. This helps to keep offset replace the binder or to increase the pigment to binder ratio. printing blankets cleaner and reduces press downtime. The strength and moisture resistance of ELVANOL™ surface treat- Optical Brighteners ment can also improve curl control. Fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) are commonly used in The binding strength of ELVANOL™ allows costly fibre to coated offset papers to increase the brighteness of Paper. be economically replaced with filler and still maintain the The use of 0.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of ELVANOL™ polyvinyl strength of the paper. Similarly, the hardwood or recy- alcohol based on 100 parts of pigment, results in a whitening cled fraction of paper can be increased, while maintaining effect that is significantly better than that with FWA alone. strength and printability properties with ELVANOL™ applied as Using ELVANOL™ PVOH as carrier for optical brightening agent, a surface treatment. the dosage of the conventional carrier like starch and casein can be reduced significantly.

COMPATABILITY

Solutions of ELVANOL™ PVOH are compatible with most of the common materials used in paper-making and with size addi- tives such as modified starches, alginates, sodium CMC, wax emulsions and defoamers.

Sizes made from ELVANOL™ and modified starch are generally stable at room temperature with no agitation up to 24 hours before phase separation takes place.

– 2 – ELVANOL™ in the Paper Industry ELVANOL™ in the Paper Industry

TYPICAL PRODUCT GRADES USED IN THE PAPER INDUSTRY

The most common grades of Kuraray ELVANOL™ polyvinyl alcohol used in the paper industry are:

ELVANOL™ 71-30 ELVANOL™ 80-18 ELVANOL™ 90-50 Medium viscosity, fully Medium viscosity, fully Medium-to-low viscosity, fully hydrolyzed PVOH hydrolysed copolymer hydrolyzed PVOH

Uses include: Uses include: Uses include: ▪▪ FWA and optical brightener ▪▪ FWA and optical brightener ▪▪ FWA and optical brightener carrier carrier carrier. ▪▪ Surface sizing. Controls back- ▪▪ Superior barrier for grease- ▪▪ Grease and water resistance. side lint and surface debris proof packaging ▪▪ Excellent coating binder. ▪▪ Controls dusting and picking on ▪▪ High solid coatings and sizings ▪▪ Combines efficient binding high filler content papers ▪▪ Compatible with starch with excellent high shear ▪▪ Grease proofing reprographic rheology. papers ▪▪ Controls backside lint and ▪▪ High gloss ink printing surfaces surface debris. ▪▪ Compatible with starch ELVANOL™ 85-82 ▪▪ Provides superior holdout and and CMC Medium viscosity, fully coating appearance properties ▪▪ excellent film fomation hydrolysed copolymer for clay coated recycle board. ▪▪ Compatible with modified Uses include: starches ▪▪ Higher brightness than starch ELVANOL™ 75-15 and sodium CMC as carrier Medium to low viscosity, fully ▪▪ Increase folding and bursting hydrolysed copolymer strength ▪▪ High creping aid Uses include: ▪▪ Higher water resistance than ▪▪ Higher whiteness than with starch FWA alone ▪▪ High dry strength additive ▪▪ Excellent binding properties to reduce linting ▪▪ Superior creping aids ▪▪ High solid coatings and sizings ▪▪ Reinforcement of starch performance in paper and paperboard

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KURARAY POVAL™, EXCEVAL™, ELVANOL™ and films. Many of our polymers are food contact- MOWIFLEX™ are the trademarks for polyvinyl approved and thus suitable for food applica- alcohols made by Kuraray. Their key charac- tions. Ecologically KURARAY POVAL™ is advanta- teristics — outstanding film-forming properties geous due to its biodegradability and the fact and high binding strength — add real value to that combustion does not generate residues. It is your products. Our polymers are water-soluble, available in various particle sizes from granules highly reactive, crosslinkable and foamable. to fine powders. They have high pigment binding capacity, pro- Kuraray produces its wide range of KURARAY tective colloid characteristics and thickening POVAL™ grades in Japan, Singapore, Germany effects. The physical and chemical properties and the USA. Kuraray’s global production and ser- of KURARAY POVAL™ make it ideal for a wide vice network make us your partner of choice for variety of applications, ranging from adhe- innovative high-quality PVOH resins. sives through paper and ceramics to packaging KURARAY – Here to Innovate.

Kuraray America, Inc. Kuraray Europe GmbH Kuraray Asia Pacific Pte., Ltd. Kuraray China Co., Ltd.

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