Neutral deinking chemistry with EKA surfactant at the Norske Skog Albury RCF plant 2007-2008

摘要

In 2008 the RCF plant (DIP plant) at the Norske Skog paper mill in Albury has made the switch to neutral deinking chemistry, based on surfactant chemistry, after a series of trials in 2007-2008. The main feature of the trials was the reduction or elimination of Sodium Hydroxide in the recipe via the addition of a combination of surfactant and soap to the RCF pulper and in the flotation cells. The final trial with EKA surfactant has confirmed the ability of the RCF plant to run with a neutral deinking process (as opposed to the alkaline recipe with caustic). This changed in the plant brought some reductions in chemical usage -mostly peroxide - and allowed the plant to run at a lower brightness target. A focus on yield improvement has also resulted from a change in the volume and the nature of the flotation cells rejects. One of the most visible effects seen was the effect of the EKA surfactant on the PM retention. The cationic demand decreased when the EKA surfactant neutral deinking was started in March and the runnability of the paper machine has also been improved since the RCF plant has been running the EKA surfactant. Above all, the reduced salinity in the plant effluent that resulted from the change and the complete elimination of sodium hydroxide in the chemistry was a big achievement for the RCF plant and the Albury mill in general, in the light of the serious salinity and water issues in the Murray River area.