Applications of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose in the Paper Industry
1.1 Applications in Preparation of Coatings for Coated Paper
Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose can improve the water retention value of coatings and
prevent the water-soluble adhesive migrating into the paper, thereby improving the leveling
property of coatings and improve the quality of the coating. And it is still a very good adhesive,
with excellent adhesive force, 1 share of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose equivalent to 3-4
shares of modified starch or 2-3 shares of starch derivative compounds, reduces the amount of
latex, and helps increase the solid content of coatings. When coating, it can function as a
lubricant and is conducive to membrane separation,making the coating with good glossiness and
avoiding the “orange peel” phenomenon.
We mentioned earlier in the chemical properties of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose that it
has pseudoplastic property. This feature of it can give coatings “pseudoplastic property”, and
under high shear-50, make coatings thinned, particularly suitable for coatings with high solid
contents and speed coating. Since the aqueous solution of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose has
anti-enzymatic performance and inert metabolism, it can give coatings very good stability, such
as maintaining the uniformity of coatings and making coatings non-perishable in the storage
period.
1.2 Applications in Surface Sizing of Paper
With finishing by surface sizing, the paper can increase stiffness and smoothness, improve
the surface strength and air permeability, control curl and obtain good printability. Adding a
certain proportion of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose in the surface sizing can make the surface
get very good closed nature and ink receptivity, so that color printing is clear and bright, saving
ink. As we said earlier, the aqueous solution of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose has very good
film-forming property, so adding Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose into the surface sizing agent
contributes to the film formation of sizing agent on the surface of paper, thereby improving the
effect of surface sizing. However,due to the higher price of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose, it is
usually only used for paper of special requirements, such as bond paper, banknote paper, release
base paper, decorative paper, and advanced offset paper, and if necessary, can be used in
conjunction with modified melamine formaldehyde resin.
1.3 Applications in Adding in the Wet End of Paper Machine
Earlier Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose was mainly used for such aspects as paper coating and
surface sizing in the paper industry. However, in recent years there have been a lot of paper
manufacturers at home and abroad improving the quality of product by adding Sodium
CarboxyMethyl Cellulose in the wet end and achieving very good results. It is now widely
recognized that adding Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose in the wet end of paper machine can
produce the following four functions.
1.3.1 Improving the Evenness of Paper
Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose is a very good dispersant, and after the Sodium
CarboxyMethyl Cellulose that has been dissolved into the colloidal solution is added into the
paper stock suspension, it is very easy to have affinity with pulp fibers and filler particles. At the
same time we know that the aqueous solution of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose is negatively
charged. In this way, the electronegativity of already negatively charged pulp fibers and filler
particles gets increased; the particles with the same charge will be mutually exclusive; and the
fibers and fillers in the pulp suspension can obtain more uniform dispersion, conducive to the
formation of paper sheet, thereby improving the evenness of paper.
1.3.3 Improving the Physical Strength of Paper
Improving the evenness of the paper helps to improve the physical strength of paper (such as
surface strength, tearing strength, breaking length, folding endurance, bursting strength, etc.), so
Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose has also improved the physical strength of paper while
improving the evenness of paper. In addition, the carboxymethyl group contained in the structure
of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose can produce chemical hydration with the hydroxyl group on
fibers, enhancing the bonding force between the fibers, and then physically processed by each
subsequent process of paper machine, the binding force between fibers will get substantially
enhanced. The effect reflected in the paper sheet is that almost all the indicators of physical
strength have been improved.
1.3.3 Having the Function of Sizing In Pulp
First, Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose can bring a certain degree of sizing to the paper sheet;
second, it can protect such sizing agents as rosin gum and AKD, can promote them to be
dispersed into tiny particles and evenly distributed onto the fibers, also can delay the hydrolysis
rate of AKD, and reduce the possibility of hydrolyzed garbage to pollute the system.
1.3.4 Improving the Retention Property of System
Since Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose is very easy to have affinity with fine fibers and filler
particles affinity, if the appropriate cationic additives can be selected and used in conjunction
with it, an significant synergistic effect will be obtained. It can not only improve the single pass
retention rate of paper machine, but also promote to improve the retention rate of the additives
themselves, making the efficacy of additives more significant.
Theoretically, all the paper that exists defects in the evenness and physical strength can be
improved by adding Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose in the wet end. When the single pass
retention rate of paper machine is low, or when you want to improve the retention rate of some
expensive cationic additives, both can be improved by adding Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose in
the wet end of paper machine. Currently it is mainly applied in some specialty paper and
paperboard, such as tipping paper, cigarette paper, decorative paper, map paper, bond paper,
cardboard for shoes, filter paperboard. Because the price of Sodium CarboxyMethyl Cellulose is
relatively higher in papermaking chemicals, and the added value of specialty paper and
paperboard is higher, it is very worthwhile to use a small amount of Sodium CarboxyMethyl
Cellulose to improve product quality. Certainly, there are also successful applications in the
newsprint and offset paper.
