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CompletPresentationA An
CompletPresentationA An
CEPATEC AB
Knut-Erik Persson
PAPER MAKING, GENERALLY
Page
1. Paper machine, different types 1
2. Paper making, an introduction
5
3. Fibre selection for different paper grades
8
4. Interfibre bonding
5. Chemical and mechanical pulps 10
6. Stock composition, the furnish 12
15
The design of a paper machine can vary, but there are always a forming section, a press sec
The sheet is formed in the forming section. The fibres in the stock are directed and spread, a
Genuine Fourdrinier machines are found mostly at old fine paper, kraft and at sack paper m
To increase the dewatering there is often a top wire on the Fourdrinier wire. This is particul
Paper can be produced also on twin wire machines with hydraulic headboxes.
This one is for newsprint and a simplified sketch looks like this.
Tissue is another grade, which in most cases is produced on double wire machines. The mac
Some paper grades are produced both on double wire machines and on Fourdrinier machine
Paper board consists of several layers, so a board machine can have several Fourdrinier wir
In the press section the wet web is dewatered. The presses can be arranged in many ways. W
There may be two or more press nips, with one or two felts to each nip.
The press rolls are sometimes very big. Bigger rolls mean a longer press nip and a higher dr
There may also be special cylinders which have very long nips, known as Shoe Presses.
One of the opposing rolls in a nip may be a hot drying cylinder, as on a tissue machine. A w
An ordinary drying section for most types of paper and board is a multicylinder section. Suc
Sometimes the drying is a combination of a big drying cylinder and of blowing hot air from
This method of drying paper is used preferably for soft tissue but also for drying some kraft
Conclusion: Paper machines can have different designs. Each paper grade requires its spec
Paper is a multi-layer network of paper fibres bound to each other. The fibres are very smal
Actually, paper is produced in the same way in a paper machine as has been done manually
Before the dewatering, the fibres must be treated in a way making it possible to create stron
During the dewatering the fibres form an even network. Manually this is done with a mould
The wet sheet is laid down, is couched, on a felt. The sheets and the felts are piled and the w
The same steps still remain in the industrial process. In most cases different kinds of stock a
In a fine paper mill for example a blend of chemical soft- and hardwood fibres.
After a mechanical treatment, refining, the stocks are mixed in the blend or mixing chest. N
Fig. 21. Simplified process line, fine paper mill. The refin
(2-021.tif)
After cleaning, screening and perhaps also deaeration of the stock, the sheet is formed.
During the forming process the stock is first uniformly spread on a wire and dewatered to m
From the wire the wet paper web is brought to the presses, often with the help of a felt. The
Fig. 24. Paper web follows the top felt into the press sect
In the press section the water is squeezed out of the web in a number of nips. Press felts sup
After the press section the web enters the drying section. The web is led above drying cylin
At the production of paper it is important to utilise the specific properties of the fibres.
Long fibres from chemical softwood pulp are used for production of strong papers, e.g. sa
4. Interfibre bonding
How is paper made? What makes the fibres in the wet web to keep together and what makes
On the fibre surface and inside the fibre wall there are chemical groups called hydroxyl or O
The OH groups are bound to the carbon in the cellulose and the hemicellulose of the fibre w
The OH groups are attracted to each other. However the groups are not only attracted to eac
Water can help the OH groups to bind by forming bridges between them.
When the water evaporates the fibres draw closer. When they
1,
H have
n ^Acome
K close enough brid
■■■■■■M
B
-■ Illustration.
Fig. 34. ^^^^"^^^*— Water molecules forming b
■" **■* -__
When the water has evaporated, the water bridges disappear as well. But now the fibres are
The OH groups bind to each other by hydrogen bonds.
To develop the binding between the fibres as strong as possible, the fibres shall have a cont
There must also be a great number of OH groups on the fibre surfaces which can bind to ea
The refiner tackle has bars and grooves. There are two parts. In most cases one of them is
The refiner tackles may have different patterns. The design depends on the pulp grades a
The refining bars may have different length and width. The grooves between the bars ma
STATOR
ROTOR
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 6
Main reg (^ J Gallery cz>
5. Gap clearance
The distance between the rotor and the stator bars is called gap clearance.
The gap clearance is changed according to how hard the fibres should be treated.
The gap clearance should be a bit larger than the fibre thickness. During the refining the
If the gap is too small the fibres may be cut off. Normally, this should be avoided.
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 7
^
Gallei
6. Refining machines
The refining, or beating, machines may have different designs but there are two main typ
• The disc refiner can have a single or a double disc gap. This one has double disc gaps a
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 8
Main rt
-
7. Refining energy
The refining result depends on the applied energy as well as on how this is used within th
The refining quantity is shown in kWh by multiplying the motor power by time. The powe
In all refining a certain amount of the applied power is consumed only to operate the roto
Idling power, kW
The idling power is measured with water flowing trough the refiner and the gap clearanc
The effective refining power, the net refining power, is estimated, if the applied power of
Total power, kW - Idling power, kW
= Net refining power, kW
By refining quantity, kWh/ton, is understood the consumed net refining energy during on
Refining quantity:
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 9
Main Gallei
7.3 Refining quality
or into
The different methods to use the net refining energy will influence the beating result and
Tightly placed refining bars means that each fibre is treated many times while it passes th
If the bars are thinly placed the effect will of course be the opposite one. The applied net
The rotor speed is a factor influencing how many times a fibre will pass a refiner gap in t
• Bar width
Also the bar width influences the refining result. If the bar width increases it will take a l
- If the energy of impacts is constant, the severity of impacts decreases as the length of th
Weak fibres, like e.g. hardwood pulp, require a gentle refining. By the same reason long f
The individual fibres are not treated but groups or networks of fibres are. The groups are
5-2-e.doc 02-01-07 11
Main rt
-
7.4 Fibre consistency
Until now we have talked about how the fibres, passing a refiner gap, are influenced by d
Refining at a high fibre consistency means that there are many fibres in the refiner gap to
If the consistency is decreased, the number of fibres being able to absorb the applied ene
When refining the fibre walls are treated. The primary wall, P, is more or less peeled off.
5-2-e.doc 02-01-07 12
Main reg C^
Even the inner part of the fibre wall, S2, is influenced by the refining. The fibre wall start
When the outer fibre walls P and S1 are removed and the fibre wall S2 is delaminated, wa
Later, when the water between and inside the soft fibres evaporates in the drying section
Thus, the main reason to refine is to attain an outer and an inner fibrillation but some und
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 13
Main reg C^
When the fibre wall is split up, parts of the wall are peeled off and a lot of fine material i
The fibre may even be pressed together so hard that it will be cut off.
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 14
J ■=;•
The fibre changes may lead to:
During the refining some substances are released from the fibres. Small amounts of ligni
9. The influence of the refining on the paper strength
The classical ”valley beater” is sometimes called a hollander. It existed before the conica
In the hollander the pulp circulates in a trough and at each turn it is treated by rotating kn
When the properties of a paper produced from the stock is measured and related to the re
In the beginning the tensile strength increases sharply, but the more the fibre is refined th
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 15
Main reg C^ Glossary ^^ | Gallery n^>
At first, the paper’s tearing resistance increases, but later it decreases.
The more the pulp is refined the more the opacity decreases.
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 16
J Gallery cz> |
Main
10. Measuring of the refining degree
It is desirable to be able to quickly check how much a pulp is refined. One well-tried met
For a mechanical pulp another measuring method called Canadian Standard Freeness, C
The Freeness method measures the drainabil-ity. Thus, a high Freeness number means a
The stock’s dewatering capacity can continuously be measured with a gauge installed in
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 17
Main r
11. Examples of products with different refining
The paper is made from high-refined fibres with aim on inner fibrillation. The paper’s op
The other extreme is a sack paper, which has to be very strong and resilient.
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 18
Gallery ^}
Main rt
- **
The sack paper stock is refined in two steps.
lossaIn the first step the pulp is refined at a high c
0 Ww
Blend
chest
At the high consistency the fibres are bent and lengthways compressed. At the same time
The outer and inner fibrillation of the fibres, necessary to make them bind strongly to eac
5-2-e.doc 01-12-19 19
^\
li
Main reg
The freeness method measures the drain-ability. Thus, a high freeness number means an
Mechanical pulps always have a lower freeness than a normal, unrefined chemical pulp.
Because the chemical pulp is unrefined the amount of fine fraction is very low.
Of course, the freeness values can vary within the different types of mechanical pulps.
However, SGW always has the lowest freeness and CTMP the highest. The TMP freenes
The difference depends on the amount of fine fraction, The greater it is, the lower the fre
600 700
ml CSF
6.2.2 Opacity
The opacity of a sheet depends on how the fibres are separated and on the applied energy
Thus, the more fine fraction, the larger the area of unbound fibre surfaces being able to sp
It is the other way round with chemical pulp. If the refining is increased, the opacity decr
The more pliable the fibres becomes and the more OH groups that can be exposed, the m
The mechanical pulp contains almost all the wood lignin. When the lignin is exposed to u
The wet paper web must have such a strength that it resists breaking.
If the strength is too low, it must be improved by addition of a chemical, long fibre, reinf
Fig. 72.
(6-072.tif)
Chemical fibres are soft. The fibres collapse and come close to each other. The paper den
The high stiffness of mechanical fibres prevent the fibres to collapse. The paper thicknes
The board becomes stiff and the price per volume becomes lower.
The lower the energy input during the grinding or refining, the lower the density will be.
Formerly SGW was often used, for example in newsprint. Nowadays TMP is the main ra
SGW was often used for the middle layer in board. Today CTMP is primarily used.
CTMP is also mixed into simple printing and writing paper. The main reason for this is th
CTMP is an excellent fluff pulp for hygienic products and different tissue papers.
Recirculated air
SGW, TMP and CTMP are sold as market pulp in Sweden. To increase the possibilities to
pulp to press
Air<=$>
In mechanical pulp the majority of the original wood material remains. The wood yield is
In a chemical pulp most of the lignin and extractives are removed. A large part of the hem
Mechanical pulp fibre is shorter as well as thicker than the chemical. It has thicker fibre w
The mechanical fibres do not collapse as easily as the chemical. Few hydrogen bonds are
The original brightness of mechanical pulp is higher than that of the chemical one, but it
FORMING 1, GENERALLY
1. Forming process..........................................................................................................2
l.lDewatering .............................................................................................................2
1.2 Wet web strength.....................................................................................................4
2. Forming and paper properties...................................................................................6
2.1 Formation................................................................................................................6
2.2 Fibre orientation....................................................................................................10
2.3 Distribution of the fine material in the Z direction...............................................15 |j
3. Factors influencing the forming process.................................................................16 [
3.1 Forming of fibre floes...........................................................................................16 ' o
3.2 Fibre orientation in the sheet.................................................................................27
3.3 Distribution of the fine material in the Z direction...............................................28 II
During the forming process, the stock has to be dewatered in a way which an even fibr
What influences the dewatering and what makes the fibres in the network keep togethe
If a higher concentration in the head box is chosen, the amount of water leaving the sto
The higher the temperature is, the lower the water viscosity will be and the faster the s
The dewatering does not depend on the stock conditions, only. The design of the wire
In the finished paper the fibres bind to each other with hydrogen bonds. To make these
However, the wet web has a certain strength, too. The reason is the so called surface te
Fig. 12. Open transfer of the web from the wire to the
(11-012.tif)
When two such fibres get into contact with each other, the water layers will overlap in
Forces, trying to keep the water layers together, arise and the fibres will keep together,
2.1 Formation
The forming process means a lot for all paper properties. In this part of the presentati
A simple, but not always correct, way to judge the formation is to view the paper in tra
Of course, instruments in the mills can measure the formation more exactly.
A better formation makes the paper more even and improves its printability.
The formation influences the paper strength, but how much depends on how a certain
A good formation will not only be of importance for the properties of the finished pape
However, above all, the formation means the most during the drying process.
When the fibres dry, they shrink crosswise and become thinner. In the cross point the f
If the formation is bad, the paper dries and shrinks unevenly. There will be tensions in
A paper that should have a high gloss has to be calendered. At this operation the forma
If the paper sheet has a bad formation, the thicker parts of the sheet will be harder pres
Fig. 27. Calender. (Twin roll with a soft nip; soft calender.
If the paper has a very uneven formation the thick parts may still be moist when the pa
Moist parts are easier compressed in the calender. The free surfaces in the paper sheet,
Fig. 29. Paper that has been calendered and made trans
In another lighting the transparent parts appear as dark spots. This is called blackening
During the forming, the fibres are not only to be distributed, but also directed or ”orien
In many paper grades it is desirable to have the properties the same asFig.
possible in alltyp
32. Different d
In fine and sack papers, the fibres are to be equally orientated in all directions.
Fig. 35. Illustration. Sheet where the fibres are more orien
The more the fibres are orientated in the machine direction, the higher the strength in t
With machine direction orientation the web becomes stronger and it will be easier to p
How the fibres are orientated in the sheet does not only influence the strength properti
The fibres always shrink more crosswise than lengthwise during the drying. If most fib
Fig. 43 and 44. Paper web during the drying. The main shri
Fig. 45 and 46. Paper web during drying. The main shr
The fibre orientation is often different in the edges. This is one reason, why the edge ro
How the fibres are orientated in the paper can be estimated by measuring the tensile str
With the help of new, modern instruments the fibre orientation can be defined safely an
Sometimes, the fibre orientation is different on the two sides of the paper, that is one s
If the humidity in the atmosphere surrounding the paper is changed, the paper will shri
The result will be a curly paper and the phenomenon is called curl.
It is not only the paper formation and the fibre direction in the sheet that have a direct
A usual problem, in one-sided dewatering, is that most of the fine material will be loca
The surface strength and the printing properties are also strongly influenced by an une
The quality of the supplied stock and the conditions during the forming are both of gre
Such fibre flocs can be quite stable, so rather great forces are needed to split them up.
If these flocs are not broken down, they will remain in the finished paper. The paper w
What determines how much fibre flocs there will be in the stock?
The fibres in water follow the water movements. If there are whirls, or turbulence, in
The largest possible volume the fibre can sweep over, corresponds to a sphere with a
The sweep volume increases with the cube of the fibre length. So if the softwood fibre
However, the hardwood fibre is lighter than the softwood fibre. In order to get the sam
In spite of the number of hardwood fibres being four times higher, the short fibres swe
The ideal way to form a sheet would be to have enough space to let the fibre move free
However, forming a paper under such conditions is not realistic from practical or econ
Consequently, the fibres, not being able to move freely, will tangle and form flocs.
The risk for such floc formation increases with the fibre length. Therefore, forming a s
Fibres easily form flocs. However, what really happens when a floc is formed?
If there is not enough space for the fibres to move freely, the fibres penetrate into each
The turbulence force in the stock make the fibres move. As long as the moving force is
The fibres are elastic and therefore, they bend when they move.
However, if the turbulence decays, the fibres stop moving. An immobile fibre will take
The fibres, however, prevent each other from straightening out completely. As a result
Fig. unrefined
Refined chemical fibres are softer and more elastic, than 78. Chemical fibres.
ones. (STFI)proper
These
(11-078.tif)
The fibres in mechanical pulps are short and stiff. Such fibres are not Fig. 80. Mechanica
so easily entangl
The choice of fibres depends on which paper that is to be produced. Thus, theMagazine
Fig. 82. furnish pf
(11-082.tif)
It is during the forming process in which the floc formation could be prevented.
Before the web is formed, the stock is always highly diluted. This dilution is done in th
Diluting the stock is the ideal way to prevent fibres from forming flocs.
The better the formation is, the stronger the paper will be.
However, the stock can not be diluted too much. The lower the fiber concentration is, t
Thus, there is maximal limit beyond which the stock can not be diluted. The next step i
The way to prevent the fibres from forming large flocs is to have enough stock turbulen
If the turbulence is strong, the shearing forces tearing up the flocs becomes greater tha
Whether the fibre floc is decreased only, or dispersed totally, depends on the character
Fig. 92.
(11-092.tif)
Fig 91 and 92. Photos showing stocks before and after gen
When the turbulence is estimated, the intensity and the size of the whirls must be taken
When the diameter of a simple whirl is approaching the fibre length, micro turbulence
Fig. 96.
(11-096.tif)
If the turbulence is more coarse, the flocs are only partly broken down.
Fig. 97.
(11-097.tif)
The smaller the turbulence whirls are, the greater the probability to release single fibre
However, what will happen to the fibre flocs does not depend on the turbulence, only.
If the fibres are long and elastic the number of points locking each fibre increases and
Thus, long fibres do not only form flocs easily. The fibre length, too, makes the flocs di
The stock turbulence can never totally prevent the fibres from forming flocs, but it limi
However, the strength of the paper never becomes as high when the flocs are broken d
During the forming process, the fibres tend to orientate in the flow direction of the stoc
The longer and stiffer the fibres are, the more they tend to orientate.
If a local cross flow is generated during the forming, the fibres will orientate in the sam
Stock properties
The more fine material there is in a head box stock, the greater the risk becomes to get
Single-sided dewatering
When the stock is dewatered, the fibres form a connected network. The fibre network
A single dewatering causes the content of fine material in paper to be lower closest to
Two-sided dewatering
When dewatering between two wires, the same thing will happen.
When dewatering in two directions, the two fibre networks are only half as thick as wh
Fig. 110.
(11-110.tif)
To help bind the fine material to the fibres, retention chemicals are often used.
The wire retention becomes higher. Besides, when the fine material forms flocs which
During the forming process, the more even distribution of the fine material is enhancin
Thus, the retention agent improves the retention and makes the stock to drain more qui
What could happen is that the fine material binds together and creates flocs, which can
Forming a paper means that the stock is to be dewatered and that the fibres are to be d
However, the quality demands on each paper grade is specific and the supplied furnish
Of course, the demands on the section forming the net work becomes specific as well.
This chapter is about the stock and process water flows around the paper machine. Th
During the forming, the water in the stock suspension drains through the wire and the
The water passing through the wire is called white water. Some parts of the stock solid
r^<]<- *-
< ;• u ,i >
Fig. 2. Illustration. One-sided dewatering. (12-002.tif
By wire retention it is meant how much of the solids in the stock from the headbox tha
The wire retention depends on how much fine material the stock contains from the beg
An additional important factor is of course the mechanical conditions on the wire secti
The short circulation is a term used describing the process flows around a paper mach
■
By the short circulation is meant the flow loop from the wire tank, through pumps and
T
Machine W
chest <j
^ ^^^v^^v
i
iMaskirlHIKSZ " -;
Ikar IBEffl grc:1
ii i
In the short circulation the stock from the machine chest is diluted.
The dilution is done before the fan pump with water from the wire tank.
The wire tank is the chest where the white water is collected when the stock is dewater
The constant level is obtained as some of the white water always spills over.
4 1the
The reason why there is always a water surplus in 18-20%
short circulation is that the stock
When the paper web then leaves the wire it has a consistency of about 20%.
1 Vlra-E
III
II kar 1
II9rop E
Fig.ch9. The
^
B9t 3 %
short circulation. Marking of typical stock c
The excess water from the short circulation goes to the long circulation.
Fig. 10. Process schedule. The short and the long circulation
In the long circulation the water is first collected in a white water tower. The white wa
Fig. 11. Process schedule. Water flood to the white water tow
The water in the white water tower is later used for regulation of the stock consistency
The water in the white water tower is also used to slush broke or dry pulp bales.
H Bak- ■
Xi'l
ivi
Fig. 14. Process schedule. The white water flood from the
To catch the fine material better, pulp from some of the stock chests is usually mixed i
Fig. 15. Disc filter for cleaning of the white water. (12-015
The cleaned white water is used for various shower water on the paper machine.
The remaining water leaves the process and goes to the exterior cleaning.
Fig. 17. Process schedule. The white water surplus from the
The separated fibres and the fine material are normally not led back to the paper mill. I
The energy content in the dewatered sludge is made use of when it is later mixed with
You always try to minimise the amount of fresh water to a paper machine system. A sm
Normally, the system must not be too closed. Dissolved organic substances and dissolv
The broke taken back may be ”wet” and come from, for example the couch pit.
The conditions in the pulpers vary and it is difficult to keep an even consistency in the
Consequently, the consistency in the broke tower where the different pulped broke is s
To get an even consistency the pulp is pumped further and dewatered on a thickener.
The water leaving the pulp at the dewatering on the thickener goes back to the white w
Fig. 24. Process schedule. The broke chest after the thickener is ma
The pulp from the broke chest is diluted with white water to the correct consistency. It
Fig. 25. Process schedule. The blend chest after the thickener is
If the broke is difficult to slush, it may first pass through a deflaker before it lands in th
The stock in the blend chest contains the correct balance of fibre chosen to give the pa
Chemical fibres have always passed a number of refiners before they land up in the ble
After the blend chest the stock is forwarded to the last stock chest: the machine chest.
On the way to the machine chest there is a final regulation of the stock consistency.
Fig. 30. Measuring of the consistency after the dilution with white wate
If dry strength agent is added it is often brought to the stock in the machine chest. If ro
Fig. 31. Process schedule. Ordinary addition points for alum and dry
(12-031.tif)
When the stock leaves the machine chest, the consistency is constant. The flow from th
Fig. 32. Proc
(12-032.tif)
The computer receives information about the machine speed, the web width and the gr
The stock size is often added just when the stock leaves the machine chest.
Fig. 36. Machine chest pump. The addition point for size is mark
If filler is added, it is in most cases done just before the fan pump.
Fig. 37. Fan pump. The addition point for filler is marked. (12-037
The stock is later cleaned in hydrocyclones and in screens. It is not possible to avoid th
To get a good admixture it is important how the dilution of the stock with the white wa
In most cases the stock pipe from the machine chest is led into the wire tank. Then, the
Sometimes the same thing is done with the pipe collecting and bringing back the flow
Previously the flow was in most cases controlled by throttling it after the pump.
Nowadays, the flow is controlled by regulating the rotation speed of the pump motor
4.1 Hydrocyclones
After the fan pump the stock is cleaned in small cyclones: hydrocyclones.
The reason why the hydrocyclones are so small, is that the smaller the diameter, the be
A hydrocyclone is cone-shaped. The incoming stock, the inject, is fed into the thick en
The quicker the stock rotates, the more the centrifugal force will influence the stock.
The centrifugal force influences particles with a high density more, than particles with
The fact that the centrifugal force influences heavy particles more than light ones and
1 r > Reject
However, in the centre of the cyclone the flow spiral is directed upwards and its conten
Thus, heavy stock particles, for example grains of sand and very big filler particles, ca
The stock might contain other contamination, even lighter than the fibres. In spite of th
The reason why just this contamination is separated is that it is larger than the fibres. A
An important thing to remember is that the fibres easily form flocs, particularly when t
The flocs may surround the contamination making it more difficult for the contaminati
Because of this, the fibre concentration in the inject is seldom above 0.8% and often as
The accept from the first cleaning step is ready to go further into the process.
In most cases the reject volume is about 10% of the inject volume. The reject leaving t
Thus, the weight of reject leaving the cyclone may come up to 20% of the weight of th
First the reject is diluted with white water and then pumped to a recycling step, step 2,
The amount of reject from step 2 is still too high to be allowed to leave the process. It
The procedure is repeated and in most cases the reject passes from step 3 through ano
The reject from a recycling step is always led back to the inject of the previous step.
When the hydrocyclones are connected in this way they are said to be cascade connect
The stock leaving the hydro-cyclones contains air, which may disturb the forming proc
The air bubbles may expand and disrupt the stock jet from the headbox.
The higher pressure in the box, the more the bubbles are pressed together and the more
A way to get rid of the air is to pump the stock to a deaerator. A deaerator is a closed v
The air bubbles in the stock are fixed to the fibres. To remove them, the stock is ejecte
There is an underpressure in the deaerator making the stock boil. When it boils the air
The deaerator must be placed on a high level. The outgoing stock pipe should not only
The water from the wire tank used for dilution of the stock also contains air. If there is
Normally the feeder pump has a variable rotary speed and the flow determines the con
The feeder pump must give a flow free from pulsations. The pump is therefore designe
5.2 Screens
The stock is not ready for the paper machine. First it has to be cleaned a last time in a
The task of the screen is to remove remaining particles that may contaminate or damag
The screen drum in a machine screen can be single or double. Figure 69 shows an exp
The drum plates can have round holes or slots. The slot width is always much smaller
The clean stock passes through the drum’s perforated plates. Coarse elements, such as
When a wing rotates it first creates a pressure pulse and later a suction pulse.
The pulses break up the fibre layer formed on the pressure side and prevent plugging o
Thus, the rotating wings simplify the screening. However, the pressure pulses generate
Fig. 75. Outgoing pipe after the screen; the feeder pipe. (1
One way to decrease the risk for harmfull pressure pulses is to twist the rotating wings
To make the screen work in a right way the reject must not be too small. A reject up to
The reject is rescreened in a secondary screen. The accept of the screen is brought bac
The polished surface is there to prevent deposits. If the surface is too coarse, the frictio
Normally it is desirable to add the retention agent as close as possible to the headbox.
One problem with the selected addition point is that it is difficult to distribute such a sm
Pipe bends easily create whirls, which may follow the flow into the headbox. Actually,
FORMING 3, HEADBOX
1. Headbox, generally...................................................................................................2
3. Middle chamber......................................................................................................10
4. Headbox nozzle......................................................................................................14
^>
5. Hydraulic headboxes..............................................................................................24
1. Headbox, generally
The task of the headbox is to distribute the fibres evenly over the wire and give them a
At one time the headbox was really a box: an open box at the entrance of the paper ma
Even if the headboxes used today look differently, the task is the same, to distribute th
To make this possible the stock jet must have an even thickness and concentration and
The headbox, on this sack paper machine, can be seen as an example of a box type use
The stock comes into the flow spreader. This part distributes the stock across the mach
The stock leaves the box through the headbox nozzle. In this part the jet is formed.
Between the flow spreader and the headbox nozzle there is an equalisation chamber.
It is, above all, the size of this chamber that separates the box type from the box mostly
2. Flow spreader
On old paper machines the stock was distributed to the box by branching off the feede
The flow spreaders used today look almost in the same way.
The stock is lead into the thick end of a tapered channel with rectangular, or sometime
The flow is then pressed through a thick plate with drilled holes or through a tube bank
The reason for the tapered form of the entrance channel is that the static pressure shou
If the flow spreader does not taper, the pressure would be lower in the outlet end.
The lower pressure in the outlet end would make the stock velocity slower.
It is not easy to get the same pressure over the whole width. If the flow to the flow spr
To avoid the undisirable pressure difference there must be an overflow from the outlet
How much stock that has to pass through the outflow valve to even out the pressure di
On modern machines the outflow valve is regulated by signals from pressure gauges m
In spite of all the static pressure at the entrance of the tubes will not be exactly the sam
When the stock streams through the tubes a certain back-pressure will be formed. The
Earlier the tubes were totally straight, but they could beFig.
slightly
16. conical, too.
Illustration. Tube bank with totally st
(13-016.tif)
Fig. 17. ■ ■
Illustration. I I
Tube bank with I H
conical tubes. I H
(13-017.tif) ■■^■■H
The reason for making the tubes conical was to increase the pressure drop over the tub
Fig. the
The lower the velocity is when the stock streams out, and 19. smaller the distance betw
(13-019.tif)
Fig. 20.
(13-020.tif)
Figure set. Illustrations. Flow streams after straight and after
The tubes must not be too conical. If they are, the stock may no longer follow the tube
i
t/\tMt
In modern headboxes the tubes are longer and the risk for the stock to release the tube
Another change is that the tube diameter in most cases is increasing step by step.
When the stock passes such a step zone, small whirls, micro turbulence, will be forme
The micro turbulence is meant to disperse the fibre flocs in the stock.
Fig. 26.
(13-026.tif)
3. Equalisation chamber
The task of this chamber (sometimes called reception chamber, stilling pond, etc.) is to
However, the pressure levelling out in this chamber is always achieved at the price of u
The velocity of stock jet has to follow the wire speed. In the first totally open headbox
If the wire speed increases, it is not enough to increase the stock height in a direct prop
Already at a low machine speed, the limit is reached when the stock height is no longe
V = y ( 2 g h) * 60
V = m/min
g = 9.81 m/sec2 h = m
The next development step was to close the boxes and to make them work under press
It was not very easy to get a completely even stock flow to the headbox. Pressure pulse
A way to make this possible is to keep a constant stock height and to work with a press
The stock height in the chamber may be rather high, in most cases between 500 and 10
The higher the stock height is, the more slowly the stock will stream through the cham
The stock turbulence forces become weak and the fibres easily form flocs.
MM.
Fig. 31. Illustration. Building up of a fibre floc. (13-031
To break down the developed fibre flocs, perforated rolls, so-called rectifier rolls, are u
The turbulence generated by the perforated rolls becomesFig. 33. Because of the coars
coarse.
(13-033.tif)
Fig. 34.
(13-035.tif)
Figure set. Illustration. Fibre floc broken down by a coars
To prevent the fibres from getting stuck over the hole edges the rolls are slowly rotatin
However, the primary reason for having rectifier rolls is not to break down flocs. When
mmmmmmm
rmmmmmmtt
Fig. 36. Illustration. The velocity of the stock flow in various
The hole area of the rolls is in most cases smaller than half the total area. In other word
When the stock streams through the holes, the velocity increases to more than the doub
Thus, the perforated rectifier rolls may create streaks, local regions, where the basis w
4. Headbox nozzle
The nozzle is the converging channel forming the stock jet.
The nozzle itself consists of a lower lip and an upper lip, sloping to create a convergin
Fig. 40. Illustration. Headbox nozzle. The top and the bott
(13-040.tif)
The pressure in the headbox determines the velocity of the stock jet when it leaves the
V =/ (P) Q = / (P • h)
Fig. 41. Headbox. (13-041.tif)
P = pressure
V = the stock jet velocity
h = discharge opening
Q= stock flow
(b= lip width)
The discharge opening is not the factor that determines the amount of fibres streaming
When the discharge opening increases, the flow area increases, too, and more stock im
44.
However, when the back-pressure in the nozzle drops, the pressure in the headbox dro
H Fig. 044.tif)
\(13-
7^_
Fig. 45.
(13-045.tif) EX.
Figure set. Illustration.
Increased discharge opening ⇒ lower
back-pressure.
Lower back-pressure ⇒ lower P
Lower P ⇒ lower V.
Sometimes, instead of difference, you talk about the jet to wire speed ratio or the disch
The speed difference is small and even a small change of the difference may influence
When the box pressure decreases a pressure gauge in the headbox sends a signal to the
When the flow increases, the flow resistance in the nozzle increases, too, and the press
When the rotation speed of the feeder pump increased, the stock from the machine che
If, on the other hand, the discharge opening was changed only locally? What would th
The outflow nozzle is equipped with a number of adjusting screws. With the help of th
By locally changing the discharge opening it is possible to adjust how much stock that
On big paper machines the top lip is stiff and therefore impossible to bend. Instead the
If the discharge opening is decreased, the stock streams towards the places where the d
If these waves meet other similar waves, they may reinforce each other.
The cross streams make it difficult to adjust the correct basis weight profile. The cross
The top lip can not be adjusted to increase and decrease the discharge opening, only. T
The longer it is moved forwards, the more steeply the stock jet will go down.
Figure set. The angle of the stock jet against the wire. I
However, it is not only the horizontal position of the top lip that determines the angle o
Figure set. Illustration. Influence on the angle of the stock jet aga
Fig.wire
The angle of the stock jet determines the location of the jet landing on the 60. and by
(13-060.tif)
Fig. 61.
(13-061.tif)
Figure set. Illustration. The yellow arrow describes the directio
Thus, the discharge opening determines the flow from the headbox. If the opening is lo
If the discharge opening then is horizontally adjusted, the angle of the jet landing on w
The discharge opening influences the stock jet in another way, too.
When the discharge opening decreases, the stock flow will contract even more, on its w
The more the stock flow contracts, the more the stock velocity will increase. The flow
When the stock accelerates, it will be drawn out in the stream direction. The flow elon
The flow elongation is always in the machine direction, which makes the fibres orienta
If there are fibre flocs in the stock, they are stretched. As a result of the stretching, the
Figure set. Illustration. Fibre flocs are broken down when the s
When the stock flow elongates, the turbulence whirls are also extended. As they do so,
Thus, a small discharge opening is good, if it is desirable to orientate the fibres in the
However, it is not possible to reduce the discharge opening too much There is a limit f
A smaller discharge opening means that the pressure in the headbox will increase. The
The velocity of jet has to follow the wire speed and must not be changed. Therefore, th
Fig. 69. If the velocity of the stock jet becomes too hig
(13-069.tif)
If the discharge opening is reduced, the fibre concentration will increase and the fibres
To find the optimal discharge opening is always a compromise between the risk of buil
5. Hydraulic headboxes
The development of headboxes has continued and today a new type of headbox is mos
The equalisation chamber is much smaller and sometimes there is none. In most cases
The hydraulic headbox is easier to place in small spaces and therefore it is suitable in s
In this type of box there is no air cushion that can reduce the pressure variations of the
The space between the flow distributor and the outflow nozzle is small and the time it
The desired turbulence is achieved when the stock streams through narrow tubes.
To create the desired fine-scale turbulence the tube diameter increases stepwise.
The small chamber levels out the pressure after the tubes and is therefore called equali
After the chamber the flow must again be directed and the stock therefore passes throu
The inlet side of the tubes are round but later they become increasingly square. Square
When the stock streams out from the square holes, the jets come closer to each other a
In a hydraulic headbox the stock streams rapidly through the tubes. The turbulence bec
Developing the right turbulence is very important. The contraction in the nozzle of a h
The low contraction in the nozzle of the hydraulic headbox makes the stretching forces
Fig. 84. The outflow nozzle with thin partition walls. (13
However, the turbulence must not be too strong. If it is too strong it breaks up the stock
Working without air cushion is possible if the dewatering is done between two wires. O
One way of getting back the pulsation moderating effect was to place an airfilled vesse
Fig. 86. Photo. Pressure levelling out tank before the flow
The aim of the perforated plate in the tank is to eliminate the coarse-scale turbulence.
The hole diameter increases step by step to increase the fine-scale turbulence.
A straight lip means that the stock flow can not be locally changed.
Instead of changing the stock flow the stock concentration is changed in a certain posi
The local stock concentration is changed by dilution with different quantities of white
The flow out of the tubes has to remain constant in all positions.
A = incoming stock flow B = white water flow C = outgoing stock flow C= A+B = constant
The stock is now distributed over the dewatering wire or wires. Now it is necessary to
7. Foils ............................................................................................................................. 15
7.1. Pressure and suction pulses ................................................................................. 16
7.2. Turbulence ........................................................................................................... 17
7.3. Pulse frequency .................................................................................................... 21 ^>
14-1.doc 01-09-12 1
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The forming process is not finished until the water is drained from the stock and a wet we
The dewatering can be either one-sided or two-sided. On a Fourdrinier the sheet is alwa
1. One-sided dewatering
One-sided de-watering. This is how it once started in the manual paper mill.
It was even from the beginning quite obvious that there had to be a certain movement in
14-1.doc 01-11-08 2
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
dewatered, the remaining dewatering takes place as a thickening process, which means a
2. Table rolls
From the beginning the driving force for the dewatering was the gravitation only. Howev
When the wire entered a table roll, a pressure pulse was generated. Later, when leaving t
The pressure difference caused turbulence in the stock on the wire and to some degree im
14-1.doc 01-09-13 3
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The machine speed increased and so the strength of the pressure pulses. Soon the machin
When these fragments of the broken up fibre net rejoined the net, they disturbed the form
Not only the formation became worse when the machine speed increased. The retention w
The fibre network is considerably more fine meshed than the wire. The tighter the net, th
If the pressure pulses break up the fibre net, the fine material could pass through more ea
14-1.doc 01-11-08 4
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The table rolls made it difficult to increase the speed of the paper machine, without destr
3. Forming board
The first element supporting the wire is called the forming board.
One of the reasons for installing a forming board is to prevent the wire from bending dow
Fig. 12. Illustration. The stock jet lands on the wire. (14-0
14-1.doc 01-09-12 5
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The wire, dewatering the stock, can have various mesh sizes. Even if the wire meshes are
The other purpose of the forming board is to prevent too quick a dewatering.
The dewatering speed on the forming board can be regulated by the blade length and the
Normally a small part of the stock jet meets the wire just in front of the first blade. The re
14-1.doc 01-11-16 6
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The stock jet is ejected with a small angle towards the wire.
The oblique angle makes the stock jet move both forward and downward, both horizonta
The steeper the jet, the greater the velocity in the vertical direction will be. The force of t
The vertical force of the jet must not be too high. Parts of the stock jet may then bounce o
14-1.doc 01-11-16 7
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The wire is woven of round threads and the upside opening between the meshes almost h
If the fibres are pushed too powerfully into the wire, they will penetrate and plug the funn
The angle of the stock jet determines where on the wire it will land and how the velocity w
Not only the velocity in the vertical direction is important. The velocity in the horizontal
14-1.doc 01-09-12 8
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
Fig. 21. Illustration. The stock jet velocity related to the wire speed.
When the jet meets the wire, the stock closest to the wire will, quicker than the rest of the
The shear forces are the same forces that are achieved when using pressure generating d
14-1.doc 01-09-12 9
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
One thing distinguishing the shear fields of the jet speed difference from those created by
Fig. 23. Illustration. The size of the shear forces and their capability
The greater the speed difference between the jet and the wire is, the greater the shear for
The fact that the shear fields have the same direction makes the fibres orientate in the she
The closer to the wire, the greater the shear becomes, and
the more the fibres orientate in the machine direction.
14-1.doc 01-11-07 10
am reg Glossary iallery
Thus, one effect of various intensity of the shear fields is that the fibres on the two sides
14-1.doc 01-09-12 11
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The speed differences between the jet and the wire make the fibres move in relation to th
If the stock jet velocity is greater than the wire speed the movement is forward along the
If there are cross streams in the stock jet, the fibres will also move across the wire and th
14-1.doc 01-09-12 12
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
Thus, the fibres move at the same time both in the machine and in the cross directions. T
The direction of the shear forces follows the real movement and the fibres orientate in the
If the jet velocity is instead lower than the wire speed, the fibres will move in the opposit
14-1.doc 01-09-12 13
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The white arrow shows the real movement, determining the fibre orientation. It now is po
Thus, how the cross streams influence the fibre orientation does not depend only on the d
Dewatering the stock on the forming board is easy. The jet pressure is high. The fibre net
During the subsequent dewatering it is different. The shear forces decline and the gravity
A way to strengthen the forces, which dewater and shear the stock, is to use foils.
14-1.doc 01-09-12 14
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
7. Foils
A foil is a bar or a strip, in most cases with a width between 45 and 75 mm. The bar has a
The slope of the blade is in most cases between one and three degrees.
When the waterlogged wire runs over the sloping blade surface it is influenced by a force
Fig. 34. Illustration. The path of the wire over a foil. (14-0
The water sucked away follows the underside of the wire and is then scraped off towards
14-1.doc 01-09-12 15
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The strength of the suction pulse depends on the blade angle. The larger the angle is, the
The distance the wire runs over the blade surface is also of importance. When the blade-l
When the wire enters the plane blade surface, short pressure pulses are generated.
The small pressure pulses loosens up the fibre layer and the subsequent dewatering will b
Fig. 38. Illustration. The pressure pulse over the front blade ed
14-1.doc 01-09-12 16
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The pulse strength does not depend only on the design of the foils. It also depends on the
7.2. Turbulence
Sucking out the water of the stock might be done in different ways. Using foils is a way t
When the wire runs over the sloping blade it has to move downwards. Before the next bl
The repeated down and up movements of the wire create shear forces breaking down the
When the wire runs over the sloping blade surfaces, turbulence is created in the undrain
The created shear forces break down the fibre flocs. It is obvious that the size of the shea
The importance of the machine speed is manifest, but how important is the influence of th
14-1.doc 01-09-12 17
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
In the first example the running distance, along the slope of the blade, is doubled.
A doubling in the blade length means a doubling in the horizontal distance (S h). At a con
th
The time (2tv) for the wire to move the vertical distance (2Sv) will, at the same time, be tw
a | 2-tv
tv= th
2-th a
14-1.doc 01-09-12 18
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
When the distance (Sv) and the time (tv) increase proportionally the vertical speed (Vv) re
a Sv
Sh
2•a
2-Sv
th
The time (tv) of the motion (2Sv) will still be the same.
a tv=th
th
2•a
lth=tv
14-1.doc 01-09-12 19
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
Vh
2•a
2-Vv
A large blade angle is to prefer if it is desirable to produce great shear forces, but attentio
14-1.doc 01-09-12 20
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
Different foils give differently powerful turbulence and therefore the choice of the foil mu
The number of foils determines how many times the stock is influenced by the vertical w
Instead of selecting a large blade angle it might be suitable to decrease the angle and incr
A smaller blade angle and a greater number of blades decrease the vertical movement ov
Turbulence energy =
A high pulse frequency means that the stock turbulence will mainly remain in the areas b
The reduced energy input in each pulse decreases the risk of breaking up the fibre networ
That risk is also connected to the type of fibres, and the number of fibres in the created n
14-1.doc 01-09-12 21
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
When describing what is happening in the stock on the wire the word used is ”activity”. A
If the activity instead grows to a degree causing free drops to leave the stock it is most pr
Thus, by studying the activity the degree of turbulence in the undrained fibre suspension
14-1.doc 01-09-12 22
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
A way to overcome the increasing drainage resistance is to gather the foils in closed boxe
The underpressure between the foils makes the suction pulses longer and more water is s
14-1.doc 01-09-12 23
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
The vaccum in the suction boxes is increased keeping step with the growth of the fibre ne
When the wire has passed the last suction box, the free stock is in most cases gone and th
Fig. 58. The last wet suction box. The wet line is visible. (14-
The vacuum level in the dry suction boxes is higher than in the wet ones. In most cases th
14-1.doc 01-09-12 24
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
If the suction increases too much, the wire is pressed harder against the blades of the suc
The increased friction causes the wire and the blades of the suction box to get unnecessar
The blades of the suction boxes are quite plane. Now the fibres are totally fixed and it is
Fig. 62. Dry suction boxes with quite plane blades. (14
14-1.doc 01-09-12 25
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
In the couch roll there is a suction box, its suction force is greater than in the former suct
In the wire section on a Fourdrinier machine producing fine paper a dandy roll was used
The dandy roll is a wire covered drum placed on the wire with a carefully adjusted pressu
The reason for having the dandy roll is not only to disperse un-desired fibre flocs. It also
At high machine speed, it is difficult to avoid splash from the drum. Consequently, on the
14-1.doc 01-09-12 26
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
As most of the fibres are orientated in the machine direction it is an advantage that the su
The fibres then more easily bridge the wire openings without penetrating and blocking th
The backside shall give the wire the mechanical stability and the durability.
14-1.doc 01-09-12 27
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
A way to meet the various demands on the wire is to use different thread layers.
A wire of several layers has a fine paper side and coarse backside.
On the Fourdrinier section the dewatering always takes place in one direction, only. The
A way to avoid these weaknesses is to dewater between two wires. The next part is about
14-1.doc 01-09-12 28
Mam reg Gallery
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 1
Mam reg Gallery
1. Two-sided dewatering
The Fourdrinier machine works well if the speed is not too high. However, when the spee
Besides, at a one-sided dewatering, the fine material is unevenly distributed in the Z dire
The difficulties increasing the machine speed and the constantly increasing demand on p
Dewatering in two directions means that the fibre net, which the water has to cross, is jus
When dewatering through a fibre net half as thick the flow resistance, becomes only half
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 2
Mam reg Gallery
Thus, if the flow resistance is halved twice, it is decreased to one fourth compared with d
When dewatering on a Fourdrinier machine only gravity and suction forces are at work.
If the dewatering is instead done between two wires the water can also be pressed out of
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 3
Mam reg Gallery
The pressure pulses make the undrained fibre suspension alternately slow down and spee
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 4
Main reg <^
The pressure pulses must not be too strong. Pulses that are too strong make the shear forc
Dewatering the stock between two wires goes quickly and the time it takes to form the sh
However, the time is in most cases not so short that the fibres do not manage to form any
How strong the pressure pulses have to be is always a balance between the wish to achie
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 5
Mam reg Gallery
The stock is not always dewatered in the two-sided manner from the very beginning. Som
The fact that the initial dewatering is more slow when dewatering on a Fourdrinier wire c
In the paper the small channels are then to be seen like small holes, pinholes.
The risk of forming pinholes increases the tighter the fibre net is. It becomes particularly
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 6
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
In the hybrid former the first dewatering to about 2% dryness takes place on a convention
Besides, in a hybrid former a rather stable fibre net has been formed before it enters the n
PFIB15/FILM15-21 2001-11-17 7
Main reg Gallery
The headbox and the main part of the wire section can be the same.
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 8
Mam reg Gallery
The dewatering over the top wire normally corresponds to between 20 and 40% of the to
The velocity of the stock entering the nip between the wires is the same as the speed of th
The fact that the undrained stock and the fibre net get different velocities creates shear fo
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 9
Mam reg Gallery
The dewatering over the forming roll takes place at a constant pressure. How high the pre
P = dewatering pressure
T = wire tension, bottom wire
R = the radius of the forming roll
P = f (T/R)
tttttt
Fig. 30.
(15-030.tif)
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 10
The water, pressed out, mainly enters the cavities in the forming roll. After the nip this w
Fig. 31. Illustration. The water leaving the forming roll enters
(15-031.tif)
After the forming roll there is a slightly curved zone, with parallel blades, the forming sh
The reason why the forming shoe is curved is to increase the dewatering pressure betwee
However, in this case, the curvature is small and as a consequence the constant pressure b
Between the blades the forming shoe has a certain amount of vaccum. The reason for this
Fig. 33.
(15-033.tif)
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-26 11
Mam reg Gallery
The higher the vaccum is, the more the wire bends over the blade edges and the stronger
When the web enters the blade zone, the dryness is already so high that the majority of th
This machine concept is very suitable for production of printing paper containing mecha
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 12
Main reg Gallery
The forming roll is now quite smooth and it is placed a bit above the bottom wire.
In this concept the driving force dewatering the stock and creating the necessary shear fo
Fig. 39. The blade part in a Duoformer. The blade pressure can
(15-039.tif)
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 13
Mam reg Gallery
The blades in the lower row are mobile and can be adjusted in the way making the stock
How much the web bends over the blade edges determines how strong the pressure pulse
Under each blade in the lower row there is a small rubber tube filled with air.
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 14
Mam reg Gallery
If the dewatering resistance increases, the tubes are pressed together and the distance bet
The path, the web has to follow through the blade zone, remains the same and as a conse
Figure set. Illustration. The path the web has to follow is indepe
That the fibre net is thinner on the upper side increases the possibility of influencing the d
Fig. 46. The underpressure between the blades in the upper blad
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 15
Mam reg Gallery
The dewatering of the stock made before the blade zone is now
Fig. 47. lower than Without
Illustration. in the earlier
pre-dewd
(15-047.tif)
Thus, the amount of fibre remaining in the un-drained fibre suspension is higher than bef
The former is in the first place used at the production of paper with high basis weight or w
Generating pulses over straight blade units brings the advantage that the strength of the
The ability of creating controllable dewatering pulses make the formers particularly suit
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 16
Main reg Gallery
Pure twin wire formers were used already in the beginning of the sixties. The main purpo
From the beginning two main types were developed. One of them can be regarded as a p
The difference between the two models was the way of pressing the water out of the stoc
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 17
Main reg Gallery
Speed-Former is an example of a pure roll former being mainly used at the production of
The roll former has two wires surrounding a large, open forming roll.
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 18
Mam reg Gallery
The centrifugal force drives the water towards the outer wire.
The vaccum in the suction box has to create a suction force as strong as the centrifugal fo
Normally, it is desirable to get as much water leaving the web in the both directions.
It is neither the centrifugal nor the suction force that determines how fast the dewatering
P = dewatering pressure
R = the radius of the forming roll
T = the tensile tension of the wire
Fig. 57. Illustration. Factors determining the dewatering pr
P = f (T/R)
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 19
Mam reg Gallery
In a roll former the pressure in the dewatering zone is almost constant during the dewater
The shorter the radius of the forming roll is, and the higher the wire tension is, the higher
Looking back on a Fourdrinier machine, it is the angle between stock jet and the wire tha
The shear forces developt in the stock depend on the speed difference between the stock
When dewatering in a nip between two wires results become the same. However, before
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 20
Mam reg Gallery
In a roll former the dewatering zone is short. To compensate for that, the nip pressure mu
The higher the nip pressure is, the higher the pressure in the stock jet must be. The veloci
When the stock jet comes into the nip between the wires it is retarded by the hydraulic pr
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 21
Main reg <^
When dewatering on a twin wire former it is the speed difference between the retarded st
Here, the shear forces are directed only in the machine direction. Consequently, they orie
The loss of pressure pulses during the continued dewatering decreases the stress on the f
Roll formers have been used on some of the fastest newsprint machines. They give a high
Pure roll formers are not very common today, but there is one important exception; pape
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 22
Main reg Gallery
The forming roll, used on the tissue paper machine, is in most cases quite smooth and the
The low basis weight gives a low dewatering resistance and therefore the dewatering is v
The former
on the
picture
differs from
other types
as the press
felt is a part
of the Fig. 68. Tissue paper machine. Crescent former. (15-068.tif)
forming
unit. The sheet is formed between the forming wire and the forming
felt. The felt transfers the sheet to a press nip between a roll and the
hot yankee cylinder.
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 23
Main reg Gallery
4. Blade formers
A way to avoid flocs, thus improving the formation, is to create pressure pulses during th
In the blade former there is no dewatering at all over the forming roll.
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 24
Mam reg Gallery
The curvature of the forming shoe creates a small constant pressure between the wires.
The pressure pulses are then formed when the wires bend over the blade edges in the form
The stretch and shear forces over the forming shoe in a blade former influence the fibres
Even now, the angle between the stock jet and the forming wire at the point of impact de
Just as is the case on the forming board of the Fourdrinier machine, it is desirable to have
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 25
Mam reg Gallery
The curvature of the wire over the forming shoe is much smaller than over the forming ro
Fig. 75.
(15-075.tif)
Figure set. Illustration. The bending of the wires in the
That the pressure in the nip is lower means that the pressure from the stock jet does not h
Fig. 76.
(15-076.tif)
Consequently, the velocity of the jet in a blade former can be lower than in a roll former.
X Fig. 77.
(15-077.tif)
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 26
Main reg Gallery
In the machines of today the dewatering is done over both blades and a roll, but the order
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 27
Main reg Gallery
Bel Baie 4 is the latest design in the row of pure twin wire formers from Beloit and is an e
In the blade-roll former the dewatering is done first over blades and then over a roll.
Compared with the older models Bel Baie 2 and 3, the first forming shoe is now placed c
Another advantage is that the length of the free stock jet gets shorter. The shorter it is, the
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 28
Mam reg Gallery
The stock jet meets the inner wire just in front of the first blade.
The other forming shoe is now placed on the opposite side. Here, in contrast to the earlie
The fact that the blades are oppositely placed makes the pressure pulses to influence the
How strong the pressure pulses will be, depends on how high the blade load is.
The increasing number of pressure pulses may make it possible to lower the strength in e
Figure set. Blade load determines the size of the pressure pulses.
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 29
Mam reg Gallery
Another advantage with oppositely directed pulses is that it is easier to distribute the fine
The subsequent dewatering over the suction roll takes place under constant pressure. How
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 30
Main reg <^
Comparison between Bel Baie 3 and the earlier described Bel Baie 4
On Bel Baie 3 the distance between the forming roll and the forming shoe is longer.
The main difference from the pure blade former is that on the blade-roll former there is m
If counter-directed pressure pulses then are formed, it is easier to distribute the fine mate
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 31
Main reg Gallery
6. Roll-blade formers
The aim of the roll-blade former is the same as the blade-roll former; to decrease the am
In the roll-blade former it is the pre-dewatering over the forming roll that makes it possib
Speed-Former HS
can be regarded as an example of a roll-blade former.
The stock jet is injected tangentially towards the forming roll and meets the outer wire ju
The length of a wire wrapping the forming roll is much smaller than on the earlier descri
Now the dewatering over the forming roll is going so quickly that the fibres do not have
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 32
Mam reg Gallery
On the old roll former the stock was dewatered and the fibre firmly fixed already after th
The forming shoe is slightly curved. The reason for that is to increase the constant dewat
The size of the pressure pulses is even now regulated by using vaccum between the blade
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 33
Mam reg Gallery
The pressure pulses must not be too strong. Strong pulses can break up the fibre net form
The former type, Speed Former HS, is generally used at the production of newsprint.
However, when magazine paper is produced there has to be a larger amount of filler in th
SPEED-FORMER HS
(FOR SC GRADES)
Outer wire
In order to meet that specific quality demand better the former has got a somewhat differe
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 34
Mam reg Gallery
In contrast to the earlier described former, the forming roll is now placed in the outer wire
Fig. 97. Speed-Former SC
(15-097.tif)
The dewatering over the forming roll makes the top side well closed and the filler will be
Compared to Speed-Former HS the wire wrapping on the couch roll is longer and more w
Fig. 98. Speed-Former HS
(15-098.tif)
The increased dewatering over the couch roll decreases the demand of dewatering over th
When rebuilding of a paper machine with a Fourdrinier wire it may be both difficult and
The picture describes a pure Fourdrinier machine rebuilt to a twin wire former.
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 35
Mam reg Gallery
The rebuilding shown on the picture, the starting-point was instead a hybrid former from
The machine speed at the production of printing paper is today almost 2000 metres per m
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 36
Mam reg Gallery
j^valmet
Fig. 102. OptiFormer. (15-102.tif)
Another difference between the concepts is that the forming shoe in OptiFormer is closer
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 37
Main reg Gallery
Duoformer CFD is another example of a modern roll-blade former. This former is disting
Fig. 106. Photo. The forming roll and parts of the blade secti
(15-106.tif)
The fact that the radius of the forming roll is smaller than in the earlier described roll form
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 38
Mam reg
In the same way as in the hybrid former, Duoformer D, the wires then run between two ro
Fig. 108. Illustration. Dewatering over the blade section part. (15
The frequent pulses give enough stretch and shear forces in the stock, in spite of the low
Fig. 109. Illustration. The path of the web through the blade zone
The continued dewatering then takes place over the firm suction boxes and the final couc
Fig. 110. Illustration. Dewatering over firm bars and over the cou
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 39
Main reg Gallery
Stock containing high amounts of long fibres demands high turbulence to prevent the fib
In machines mainly producing fine paper, but also newsprint, the forming shoe may be re
Fig. 111. OptiFormer with loadable blades.
(15-111.tif)
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 40
Main reg <^
When producing fine paper it is desirable that the fibres are orientated as much as possib
A way to prevent the fibres from orientating too much in the machine direction is to crea
Fig. 113. Headbox with special blades in the out flow nozzle is used
Formers should give a good formation without decreasing the retention. Besides, it is nec
It is important to select the right strength of the pressure pulses during the whole dewate
PFIB15/FILM15-4 2001-09-12 41
Main reg C^ Glossary ^ Gallery
WET PRESSING
1. Wet Pressing, Introduction ....................................................................... 2
The design of the press section is a question of the type of rolls that are used, how they a
The following pages will mainly inform about the fibre properties, their influence on the
When the paper web enters the presses it has a dry solids content of about 20%.
In the press section, the web is then pressed between one or two felts in a number of pre
The function of a the press felt is to support the sheet and maximise the water removal.
When the web is pressed together the water between the fibres and in the lumen is sque
Particularly much water is to be found in a chemical fibre, beaten so that the fibre wall i
The water in the fine pores is more difficult to squeeze out than the water between the f
With rising temperature, the viscosity of the water drops. The higher the web temperatu
Sometimes the web is heated by steam boxes located ahead of the press section.
Normally, the steam boxes are placed in the press section. By placing the steam box ove
The water in the fibre wall is not only difficult to squeeze out. The water also makes the
Thus, what happens in the wet pressing process depends on the web
properties, but of course also on how the pressing is done.
The press nip in a paper machine can be designed in many different
ways.
The result of the pressing depends on the pressure in the press nip and on the nip length
The pressure in the nip is not the same all along through the nip length. The amount of w
If the average nip pressure is multiplied with the time it takes for the web to pass the pre
Fig. 12.
The press impulse = P • t.
(16-012.tif)
The press impulse can never be so large that enough water can be pressed out in a singl
However, the web solids content after the presses does not depend on the press impulse
If the web is pressed between a smooth roll and a felt it is called single-felted pressing.
The water squeezed out streams from the web and into the felt.
When pressing the water out of the wet paper web there are two counter forces to overc
The first force is the mechanical counter-force arising when the fibres as such are comp
The second counter-force is the force arising when the water is forced to stream out of t
That the flow meets a resistance creates an internal fluid pressure in the paper web. The
The mechanical counter-forces in the fibre network can be compared with the counter-f
The hydraulic pressure corresponds in the same way to the counter-force in a shock abs
Thus, the press force added when pressing together and driving out the water of the wet
If the fibres are stiff and hard, the spring force is in most cases the dominating counter-f
Thus, if the mechanical counter-force dominates, it is just to increase the press load in o
If the fibres instead have more water in the fibre wall, making them soft and pliable, the
It is not only the properties of the fibres that determines which of the two counter-force
The longer the distance the water has to flow through a fibre network, the higher the flo
The flow resistance arising when the water streams out of the paper web does not only d
The velocity of the water streaming in the channels is connected to how quickly the pap
If the press load gets too high, the hydraulic pressure in the web increases so much that
If the flow resistance limits how fast the water can be pressed out, it is not as simple as
Thus, how much water feasible to press out depends on the applied average nip pressur
In most cases, it is not feasible just to increase the press load without
Fig. 26. running the risk of
(16-026.tif)
The counter-forces do not only influence the web in the press nip. The properties of the
Fig. 29.
(16-029.tif)
Fig. 30.
(16-030.tif)
Fig. 28, 29 and 30. Illustrations showing what happens in a
L:\16-2.doc KEP 2001-09-13 11
Main reg C^ Glossary Gallery
That the fibres take back their original form means that the conditions in the press nip o
Fig. 33.
Microscope photo, unbeaten softwood sulphate fibres.
(16-033.tif)
Well beaten chemical fibres, on the other hand, swell a lot and are therefore soft and for
If a paper web consisting of such chemical fibres is too quickly compressed, the flow re
To avoid crushing the fibre net the press load must be low. However, a low pressure in t
A way to get around this, and still be able to increase the compression of the paper web,
Because of the reduced hydraulic pressure the web will be more compressed. The area o
The fact that beating increases the swelling makes the fibre wall soft and pliable. The fi
When such a web is dried, many hydrogen bonds can be formed between the fibres.
Thus, compressing the wet paper web in a press nip is a way to get a paper with a high s
However, pressing together fibres in the web does not give only advantages. The high p
The optical paper properties are influenced as well. The low amount of free, non bound
In the first step a basic fabric is produced, the base weave. In the second the batt fibre is
The felt has a much more open structure than the web has.
The flow channels in the felt are coarser than in the web, thus the hydraulic pressure be
A press nip without felts means that the water squeezed out must stream along the web.
Thus, in an unfelted press nip the water has to stream a long distance and the hydraulic
The fact that the applied press load is balanced by the sum of the mechanical force coun
If the dewatering is done in a singled felted press nip the flow resistance will diminish a
As the hydraulic pressure on the felt side is lower than on the roll side the compression
As a result, the fibres on the side of the web running against the felt bind stronger to eac
The roll surface is smoother than the felt surface and the surface of paper running again
Thus, when dewatering in a single felted press nip the web will always get different prop
In most cases you prefer to have the two sides of the paper as equal as possible: the pap
Fig. 50.
One way to avoid unequal sided paper is to change between(16-050.tif)
felt and roll pressing on the
Another way is to press the web between two felts by using a double felted press nip.
In a double felted press nip the water will stream from the web into the two felts.
When the water streams from the middle of the sheet and outwards the pressure conditi
However, the main reason to use a double felted press nip is not to achieve a more symm
If the dewatering is done in two directions, the distance the water has to flow through th
The amount of water flowing through the fibre network and the felts is halved and this h
Fig. 56. Illustration. Water flow in a double felted
(16-056.tif)
If the amount of water streaming out of the paper web increases excessivly, the flow res
Fig. 58.
(16-058.tif)
Fig. 059.
(16-059.tif)
If the water runs a shorter distance through the felt in the press nip, the flow resistance d
A way to make this possible is to use a press roll having a surface with channels or hole
After the press nip the water might return from the felt and stream back into the web, th
To minimise this rewetting it is important to separate felt and web directly after the pres
The type of felt used is important. The felt surface is much coarser than the paper surfac
In the press nip all the voids in the felt are filled with water.
After the press nip, when the press felt is separated from the web a great deal of the wat
If the flow resistance in the web is low the nip pressure can be high and the nip residenc
In such a case the dewatering of the web proceeds rapidly and the flow velocity in the f
When the water spurts out of the nip, the press felt needs not absorb all the squeezed wa
If the web is difficult to dewater the nip pressure must be lower and the nip residence tim
The felt in such a press nip must be able to carry all the water streaming out of the web.
To be able to do this the felt must have voids large enough even when the felt is compre
The base weave in the press felt must be heavier and coarser than in the felts mentioned
The water in the press felt is then sucked away when the felt passes suction boxes.
Press felts must always be designed to the web and to the press roll types.
Advances in felt technology have been directed toward improved uniformity and reduce
The nip residence time is often short; in most cases not more than a few milliseconds.
Usually the rolls are covered with rubber or other ”elastomers” having varying elasticity
If there are two felts in the nip, the residence time is prolonged even more.
Another way to prolong the nip residence time is to use rolls with very large diameters.
During recent years a totally new type of press has been used, a so called shoe press.
The reason why the press is called shoe press is that one of the press rolls is replaced by
SYM-BELT S, SHOE UNIT ^*i^
z?Z^'*^fflm
ju rv^4^/ .!p\
^1
Fig. 74. Exploded view. Shoe press.
(16-074.tif)
With this technique the nip length can be increased up to about 25 cm.
Such a nip length makes it possible to increase the press impulse considerably without i
The graph, showing the nip pressure, becomes different. A quickly decreasing nip press
The design of the press section in a paper machine can vary. In each machine there is an
What determines the design of a press section is how much water there is to squeeze ou
However, there is one important thing to remember. How the water is pressed out alway
DRYING
1. Introduction..............................................................................................................- ^^S
2. The capability of the fibre wall to absorb water.......................................................3
\^^M
3. Forces affecting external and internal fibre surfaces................................................9 \^^M
4. Fibre shrinkage.......................................................................................................12 1
5. Shrinkage of the paper web....................................................................................14 \^^M
6. Drying and fibre properties.....................................................................................15 \^^M
7. Shrinkage and drying section conditions................................................................17 KM
8. Shrinkage and fibre orientation in the web.............................................................18 j
9. Shrinkage and internal sheet tension......................................................................19 ^^M
10. Drying and additives.............................................................................................22 MJ
11. Evaporation process..............................................................................................24 ^^B
12. Multicylinder machines........................................................................................30 ^S
13. Drying in a multicylinder machine.......................................................................33]
14. Final paper drying.................................................................................................38 ^^B
1. Introduction
Paper drying is an expensive method to remove water. The energy consumption is high
In the wire section and later in the press section, large amounts
Fig. 1. of water are mechanica
(17-001.tif)
Fig. 2.
(17-002.tif)
The dry solids content in the finished paper is in most cases between 90 and 96%.
Even if the amount of water to be evaporated is less than 1% of the amount removed d
Drying a paper web means that the water leaves the paper machine’s drying section as
Most of the water between the fibres in the web is removed in the previous press sectio
But there is water inside the fibre wall, too, and most of that water is still there.
Most water is to be found in the fibre wall from a well beaten chemical fibre. The split
There is another factor facilitating water penetration into the fibre wall; the pores form
The cellulose in the fibre wall is built up of a large number of cellulose molecules bind
Fig. 11 and 12. Illustrations. Enlarged cut of the fibre wall. It can be
Normally the distance between the cellulose molecules is so small that a water drop ca
However, in some zones the cellulose molecules are not so strictly arranged.
In disordered areas the distance between the cellulose chains is larger than the size of a
When the water penetrates the cellulose chains, the hydrogen bonds are partly split up.
0---H H--- O
H 0 O---H H— o
nH
H O 0- H H— 0
H
The hemicellulose in the fibre wall is located between the cellulose fibrils; partly in th
The molecule chains in the hemicellulose are not as strongly orientated in the fibre wa
Water can penetrate between the molecule chains and the hemicellulose layer will swe
The lignin in the fibre wall is naturally hydrophobic. Even if that property can be modi
Water localised in the fibre wall is always difficult to remove. One reason is the very n
But it is not only by reason of physics the water is difficult to remove. There is also a c
The OH groups on the cellulose and the hemicellulose chains attract adjacent water mo
Not only OH groups attract water molecules. If there are also charged chemical groups
The water molecules are not only attracted by the internal chemical groups, localised o
The fact that the water disappears is not the only thing happening to the web in the dry
When the web enters the drying section, forces of the surface tension, keep the fibres t
When the water in the lumen disappears the same forces will affect the inside of the fi
How close the fibre surfaces come depends on how formable the fibres are.
The more water the fibre wall absorbs, the softer and the more pliable it will be. The a
Well beaten chemical fibres are examples of fibres that are particularly formable.
In liquid water there are forces attracting all molecules to each other; hydrogen bonds.
When this happens, the kinetic energy of the water molecules is high enough to enable
The closer to the fibre surfaces the water molecules are located, the greater the attracti
The water molecules are attracted to the OH groups on the fibre surfaces with a force g
When the bound water gradually disappears hydrogen bonds are formed, direct betwe
It is only when such direct bonds are formed that the hydrogen bonds reach their maxi
The more the paper web dries, the more hydrogen bonds can be formed and the strong
Naturally, there is a direct connection between the amount of hydrogen bonds that can
The number of OH groups on the outer fibre surface depends on the type of chemical p
On a mechanical fibre partly covered with lignin the OH groups are considerably fewe
4. Fibre shrinkage
When the water on the fibre surfaces is removed the water in the pores inside the fibre
The more water there is in the fibre wall, the more the fibre will always shrink. As a co
• Mechanical pulps always shrink less than well beaten chemical pulps.
When the fibres shrink crosswise, in the cross points they will compress the fibres leng
As a result the whole fibre network diminish; the web will shrink.
The shrinkage is especially high at 65 to 80% dryness, the shrinkage zone. The shrinka
When the water disappears the lamellae in the fibre wall draw closer to each other. The
When the lamellae come in contact with each other hydrogen bonds are, as said before
The fibre wall develops more compact and the fibre gets harder and stiffer.
The changes taking place when the fibres dry make it more difficult for water to penet
Actually, that a fibre swells less if it formerly has been dried means that the fibres in a
Recycled fibres can be dried several times. The more times, the less the fibres will swe
The less a fibre can swell, the less it can shrink, too. Thus, if it is desirable to get a pap
If the shrinkage of the paper web is prevented by supporting dryer fabrics and a high w
When loading the paper sheet all the fibres are sharing the load evenly. The paper deve
The opposite way of drying is to let it shrink freely within that part of the drying sectio
The tensile strength and the elongation of a paper sheet is to a great extent connected
If most fibres are orientated in the machine direction the paper will shrink mainly in th
The drying tension is not equal all across the web. It is always lower close to the web e
That the tension is lower at the edges makes the paper edges shrink more than the rest
To compensate for the increased basis weight the head box nozzle opening has to be sm
But if the opening is unequal cross streams are generated. Such cross streams always i
_^>1__
Fig. 54. Headbox with locally adjustable nozzle openin
(17-054.tif)
Different fibre orientation at the edges of the paper web is rather usual. The different f
At the modern headboxes with local stock dilution, the nozzle opening is constant acro
It is important to dry uniformly in the Z direction, too. The two web sides must normal
If a paper with a high basis weight is produced, the sheet may have different dryness o
When the difference in dryness is later levelled out such a paper will shrink or expand
Thus, if a paper curls or not does not only depend on the fact that the fibres are unequ
But not only the dryness in the Z direction of the finished paper creates curl. That the p
If the web dries at the same rate on the two sides, the fibres in the sheet shrink uniform
On the other hand, if one side dries faster than the other, that side also shrinks earlier.
When the other side then shrinks the fibres on the dry side are not as soft as when they
The heat during the drying makes the size particle soften, spread and cover the surface
Fig. 61.
(17-061.tif)
Fig. 62.
(17-062.tif)
A rosin size particle becomes fully hydrophobic only when the resin acid has reacted w
Even the AKD and ASA sizes need a certain temperature before being active.
However, the two sizes, as here AKD, react chemically with the OH groups of the cell
The necessary reactions can not take place until in the drying section.
High temperature in the drying section is a must not only for sizing chemicals. If for ex
The water molecules, like molecules in all substances, are constantly moving. The hig
When the temperature in a water drop gets high enough the kinetic energy of some wa
The energy needed to release the water molecules from the drop equals the added ener
When free water molecules leave the drop the water is said to evaporate. The released
It is not only the amount of added energy that determines how fast the water evaporate
The air receiving the vapour molecules has a determined pressure, the air pressure ”P”
Dry air is a gas containing molecules, mainly nitrogen and oxygen. Molecules in motio
Each molecule in the air contributes to the total air pressure. The more molecules of a
P wet air =
P N2+ P O2 + P H20
With more vapour molecules in the air, a larger part of the total pressure originates fro
The lower the vapour pressure is from the beginning, the more vapour molecules the s
When enough water molecules have left the drop the vapour pressure in the air has fin
Now, the added energy is instead used to increase the temperature in the water drop.
The evaporation stops because the air can not receive more vapour molecules. The air
The higher the air temperature is, the quicker the vapour molecules
M~H move and the close
AA
AT A
Fig. 80. Illustration. Vapour molecules. (17-080.tif)
If the air temperature falls the kinetic energy decreases and the vapour molecules rebin
When the vapour molecules are caught up by the hydrogen bonds their kinetic energy
Thus, how many vapour molecules there are in the air surrounding a water drop depen
In the manual paper mill the paper was hanged up and dried in the air. How fast the pa
For a paper machine the same rules apply, but here the drying must be done very fast.
How the drying is done can be seen by following the course on the most common type
Heat is added alternately to the web’s two sides and the web temperature starts to incre
On the first cylinder there is almost no evaporation of water. Evaporation starts when
The temperature on the first cylinders is low. Otherwise there is a risk to burn the web.
(The web on the previous picture runs outside the wire in the bottom cylinder row. Thi
The web temperature always stays below 100°C. The water is not boiled away.
What determines how much water that can be evaporated is the difference between the
P H2 0
Fig. 87. Paper web. Marking of the vapour pressure in the
Another way is to keep the vapour pressure in the surrounding air as low as possible.
If the vapour pressure in the surrounding air is too high, the air becomes saturated an
To avoid saturation the moist air must be exhausted and new, drier and preferably war
By special blow boxes the hot, dry air is added at the right place and with the correct f
The wires between the dryers also help to ventilate the dryer pockets.
To be able to exchange the moist air a lot of hot, dry air must be added.
The weight of the air leaving the drying section is in fact in most cases ten times highe
It is important to arrange the ventilation in the very best way. If the ventilation is not h
If the ventilation is uneven the paper dryness becomes uneven, too. The paper quality g
However, the high heat transfer can not be explained only by heat conduction. There m
The paper web is a complicated element where both water and vapour can move in the
When the paper surface next to the drying cylinder has reached a certain temperature t
Fig. 93.
(17-093.tif)
As the vapour penetrates the inner part of the web it cools down and condenses.
When the vapour condenses, the vaporization heat is set free. This heat is now taken u
In the open draw between the drying cylinders the vapour on the web surface and in th
(17-097.tif)
Capillary suction brings the condensate back towards the warm paper surface again.
As long as the vapour pressure at the web surface is higher than in the surrounding air,
The heat needed to evaporate the water is taken from the web itself. As a result the we
When the paper web enters the following drying cylinder the process will repeat itself.
The water between the fibres vaporises. This time the vapour will penetrate a bit longe
In the following draw the free vapour leaves the web and the condensate flows back to
The web temperature falls slightly in the open draws between the cylinders. However,
The declining heat transfer is one of the reasons why the evaporation rate always decr
When the water in the channels between the fibres is removed the vapour pressure insi
(17-107.tif)
It is the difference in vapour pressure that makes the water in the fibre walls evaporate
P H20 in the fibre wall > P H20 in the channels between the fibres.
The pores in the fibre wall itself are much smaller than the channels between the fibres
The fact that the pores are that narrow makes the water stream more slowly to the evap
The amount of heat necessary to evaporate the water now becomes lower than the amo
The last water molecules bind chemically on the cellulose and hemicellulose. These st
To remove the chemically bound water it is not enough with the vaporisation heat. Wh
All water can not be removed from a paper web. Some water molecules bind so strong
A filler in the paper does not bind the water molecules in the same way. Consequently,
When producing thick paper, i.e. board, it is very important that the web does not dry t
If the evaporation becomes too strong the fibre surfaces next to the paper surfaces can
As a result the sheet centre, in the Z-direction, becomes too moist and the layers close
The dryness in the finished paper must not only be the same straight through the sheet
How high the dryness must be depends on how easily the moisture can penetrate into t
The amount of water absorbed in the fibre wall is a question of the chemical compositi
If the air is very moist the bonds between the fibres are influenced, too. The hydrogen b
The filler does not bind water to the same extent as the fibres do. The more filler there
FORMING 6, MULTI-LAYER
1. Forming of layers - separately or simultaneously .......................................................... 2
2. Layer adhesion ............................................................................................................... 3
3. Separate forming ........................................................................................................... 6
3.1. Conventional cylinder (vat) machines ................................................................. 6
3.2. Modified cylinder machines ................................................................................ 8
3.3. Fourdrinier machine with a separate top wire; top former .................................. 9
3.4. Fourdrinier machine with a separate former of a Fourdrinier type ................... 12
3.5. Fourdrinier machine with separate top formers of the roll former type ............ 16
3.6. Modified Fourdrinier machine with separate top formers of the roll- blade former type ............
3.7. Headboxes ......................................................................................................... 19
4. Simultaneous multi-layer forming ............................................................................... 21
Headbox with stratified jet .............................................................................................. 21
Flersk4 01-11-14 1
Main reg >allery
One reason of forming separate layers at board production is the difficulty to form a sing
The fact that each layer usually has its own furnish is another reason to form separate lay
Giving the paper the desired properties at the lowest cost has led to a development of pro
Instead of forming each stock layer separately, a multi-channel headbox is used. Each sto
Flersk4 01-09-13 2
Mam reg Glossary Gallery
2. Layer adhesion
Developing a sheet in several layers gives a good possibility to optimise the sheet proper
An important board property, being direct related to the forming process, is how strongly
How strongly the layers will bind to each other in the finished board is called layer adhes
It is the number of hydrogen bonds formed between adjoining fibre surfaces which determ
Flersk4 01-09-13 3
Main reg >allery
The number of hydrogen bonds depends on the number of OH groups available on the fib
In a multi-layer construction, the direct contact area between the fibre surfaces in the adj
One thing that determines the strength of the bonds between the layers is the dry substan
The lower the dry substance content is, the better the chance of getting a water film cove
Flersk4 01-09-13 4
Main reg >allery
When the water on the fibre surfaces gradually evaporates in the dryer section, the forces
The softness and formability of the fibre wall are of course important. The more the fibre
Fig.
Well beaten chemical fibres therefore always bind more strongly to 11. Wellother
each beaten chemical
than mech
(FS-011.tif)
A more pliable fibre does not only mean that the fibres bind more strongly to each other w
Flersk4 01-09-13 5
Main reg >allery
A soft and formable fibre develops a high layer adhesion. However, it also makes the she
Another way to strengthen the forces keeping the layers together is to have as high an am
The fine material fills up the cavities between the fibre layers and thus helps to increase t
3. Separate forming
Flersk4 01-09-13 6
Main reg >allery
The stock comes into a trough and is dewatered through a wire covered drum rotating in
The fibre layer formed on the drum can be rather thick, up to 100 grams per m2.
The strong capillary forces between the felt and the fibre net make the fibre net follow th
The number of forming units in a board machine depends on the basis weight of the prod
The cylinder machine had a simple construction but it was not easy to get an even basis w
Flersk4 01-09-13 7
Main reg Glossary ■aiiery
Now it was possible to regulate the stock flow across the machine, which gave a more ev
Flersk4 01-09-13 8
Main reg >allery
The machine speed on the fastest cylinder machines could come up to about 250 metres p
In this new construction a base layer is often formed on a conventional Fourdrinier mach
One way to form the added layers was to inject the stock in the already formed Fourdrini
The forming board is curved to let the constant pressure in the dewatering zone to increa
Flersk4 01-09-27 9
Main reg >allery
When the wire bends over the blade edges, pressure pulses are formed. The aim of pressu
The stock is mainly dewatered up towards the forming board. The one-sided dewatering
Between the blades in the forming board there is a vaccum enhancing the dewatering thro
The vaccum also helps to adjust the size of the pressure pulses. The higher the vaccum is
Flersk4 01-09-13 10
Main reg >allery
The task of the suction box in the bottom wire is to prevent the new layer from following
One thing that distinguishes the described former from the conventional cylinder type is
A problem with this type of former is the risk for destroying the already formed fibre net w
An advantage is that the machine speed may be considerably higher than in the previous
However, the speed of such a board machine will not be as high as when producing pape
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Main reg >allery
The stock in the surface layer often contains chemical fibres, only. As the surface of the b
One way to decrease the production cost is to keep the grammage of the surface layer as
A good formation is achieved by working with a low concentration in the stock jet and by
The high opacity is achieved by adding a filler. To develop the desired effect the wire rete
A former giving both a good formation and a high retention is the Fourdrinier former. Bu
The upper critical speed limit for a Fourdrinier former is soon above 1 000 metres per mi
An increasingly common way is therefore to form the individual layers on separate Fourd
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Main reg >allery
If it is desirable to increase the dewatering over the Fourdrinier wire and at the same time
On the overlying Fourdrinier unit in a board machine the outer wire sometimes wraps the
(The lower machine height is a practical advantage facilitating when rebuilding an old b
The strength of the formation improving pressure pulses can be controlled by adjustment
Flersk4 01-09-13 13
Main reg >allery
How much of the fine material that will be localised in the contact surfaces between the l
Fig.
The fibre net formed on a Fourdrinier wire is tighter than the wire 32. so the fibre net c
itself,
(FS-032.tif)
2
Thus, to get as strong bonds as possible between the layers it is desirable to couch two to
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When there are more than two layers, one wire side and one top side will always meet.
Fig. 35. Principle sketch. In the 2:nd and 3:rd couch nip a top and a wire side wi
Flersk4 01-09-13 14
Main reg >allery
A way to
increase the fine
material content
in the contact
zone between Fig. 36. Principle sketch. A complete board machine. A highly refined chemical pu
the layers is to
refine a small
amount of stock
to a very high degree, and add it on the base web just before the nip where
the webs are couched together. An alternative to a highly refined stock
could be to spray an uncooked starch slurry on the stock.
If the different layers are formed on separate Fourdrinier wires, large amounts of water c
If there are top wires with blades they also give pressure pulses which improve the forma
Flersk4 01-09-13 15
Main reg Gl ossary >allery
3.5. Fourdrinier machine with separate top formers of the roll former type
Fourdrinier formers make it possible to form a sheet with a good formation. The disadva
A way to increase the dewatering and further improve the formation on a Fourdrinier wi
Another way becoming more and more common is to use two-sided dewatering from the
A way of producing board in several layers is to complete the Fourdrinier machine with a
A weak point with a pure roll former is that the shear forces, formed when the stock jet m
The lack of pressure pulses during the dewatering in a roll fomer means that the fibres ea
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Main reg >allery
One disadvantage with a roll former is that the formation is not the very best.
Another disadvantage related to the two-sided dewatering in the top former is the fact th
As long as there is only one top former the layer formed on the top wire will be couched
However, as soon as there are more top formers it will no longer be possible to couch tog
3.6. Modified Fourdrinier machine with separate top formers of the roll-blade form
A technique used in ordinary paper production was to combine roll and blade dewatering
This technique to improve the formation on the top wire was previously used also in a bo
The stock is dewatered in the two-sided manner from the very beginning in a roll-blade f
After the two-sided de-watering the wire runs as in a conventional Fourdrinier machine.
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Main reg >allery
The stock is ejected into the nip between two wires. The initial dewatering takes place at
The continued dewatering then takes place over the slightly curved blade section. The str
Fig. 40. The dewatering zone in a roll blade former of the type
In the following top formers the stock is in principle dewatered in the same way as in the
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Mam reg Glossary ■allery
The dewatering pulses over the forming blades do not only help to improve the formation
3.7. Headboxes
Hydraulic headbox or perforated roll box
The headboxes used in a board machine are of the same type as those on a Fourdrinier m
The effect of the turbulence generator is connected to the flow through the pipe tubes.
If the flow becomes too low, the effect becomes low and the fibres easily floc.
Flersk4 01-09-13 19
Main reg >allery
If the flow, on the other hand, becomes too high, large scale whirls could be generated in
t MtM t
CO
The fact that the flow through the headboxes often varies at the production of multi-layer
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Main reg >allery
But there is also another way making it possible to use separate furnishes without formin
The process is to use a multi-channel headbox. From a single head box, a stratified jet is
Fig. 46. Modern sectioned hydraulic headbox with a stock jet in three layers
Pipe tubes are not always used. There are concepts where the stocks are separated by thin
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Main reg >allery
A disadvantage is that the stock layers can not be kept totally separated from each other i
The stronger the stock turbulence is during the forming, the higher becomes the risk to m
Of course, the greatest risk for mixing the stock is in the zone closest to the borderline be
The turbulence during the dewatering serves to prevent the fibres from forming flocs, det
Figure set. Small whirls, micro turbulence, break down the fib
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Main reg >allery
In a roll-former the turbulence is low during the forming and the dewatering takes place s
Roll formers are mainly used when producing tissue paper. The low basis weight and the
The low risk of mixing the stocks is one reason for using head-boxes with stratified stock
Fig. 53. Headbox with three separate stock jets. (Valmet) (FS
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Main reg >allery
The extremely fast dewatering and the low turbulence in a roll former producing tissue p
An example of another grade produced in two, or sometimes three, layers and where hea
two separate stock jets. Fig. 54. Paper machine with a headbox with two layers. (Escher W
If a third layer is desired you
can choose to increase the
number of separate stock jets from the headbox or to prolong the
Fourdrinier wire and form the third layer in a separate forming unit.
An advantage of simultaneous multi-layer forming is that the investment cost for the form
A disadvantage, however, is that it is more difficult to keep the stocks separated, than wh
Another weakness is that the white water is mixed in the wire pit, making it impossible to
To provide a multi-layer box with different stock there must be a separate line for each st
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Main reg >allery
A way to avoid the high cost for the extra stock lines, still making it possible to utilise th
Fig. 55. Headbox fed with the same grade of fibre but with differ
When producing a paper or board with a high basis weight it is necessary to form separa
The other reason to form a sheet with several layers is that the desired properties for the
The technique to form simultaneously (and not separately) is a way to decrease the inves
The method to form several layers simultaneously is however most interesting and in the
Flersk4 01-09-13 25