Commercial Manufacture and Application of Micro-Fibrillated Cellulose in Paper and Paperboard

Per Svending, Imerys Mineral AB, SwedenSeptember 17th 2015

Specialty Papers Conference Milwaukee WI, USA

Publicised images of ”cellulose nanofibrils” show great diversity

A wide range of shapes and sizesmade through different processesby companies, universities, and institutes across the world.

FiberLean™ microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), a recent addition to the papermakers toolbox

Surface micrograph offinepaper containing

FiberLean MFC and filler

The FiberLean™ MFC process

Co-grinding pulp to MFC in the presence of minerals.– The mineral acts as a very fine grinding media

Robust and reliable equipment of relevant industrial scale.

On-site manufacturing, using a minor side stream of mill pulp.

No pre-treatment of fiber required.

The FiberLean product is a MFC/mineral composite.

Co-grinding pulp to MFC in the presence of mineral

1 μm

• Relatively coarse fibrils.

• Fibril length is important for wet end addition

• A wide range of pulps can be used

• Also flexible with regard to the mineral GCC PCC Kaolin Talc TiO2

Commercial scale experience with FiberLean™ MFC

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Basis weight, g/m2

Packaging

Coated Woodfree

Specialty + mechanical

Uncoated Woodfree

Close to 50 full scale trials on 21 paper machines to date• In Europé, North America, South America and Asia.

Trials ranging from a few hours to several days. Extensive experience across segments

• 6 mills in UWF• 6 mills in speciality and mechanical paper• 8 mills in CWF• 2 mills in Packaging

3 commercial contracts for on-site MFC plants.

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400123456789

10

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Tear

Inde

x (m

N.m

2/g)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

20406080

100120140160180200

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Scot

t Bon

d (J

/m2)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

1

2

3

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Bur

st In

dex

(kN

/g)

Impact of MFC on paper strength

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 4010

15

20

25

30

35

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Tens

ile In

dex

(Nm

/g)

Tensile Burst

Bond Tear

Lab studyMesmer recirculating hand sheets (12 sheets)70% Eucalyptus, 30% NBSK, 550 CSFIntracarb 60 filler

It is possible to increasefiller by 10% or more andsuffer no strength loss.

Impact of MFC on paper tensile

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 4010

15

20

25

30

35

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Tens

ile In

dex

(Nm

/g)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

1

2

3

4

5

6

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Bre

akin

g el

onga

tion

(%)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Tens

ile E

nerg

y A

bsor

ptio

n (J

/kg)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Youn

gs m

odul

us (G

Pa)

Tensile Elongation

TEA Modulus

Lab studyMesmer recirculating hand sheets (12 sheets)70% Eucalyptus, 30% NBSK, 550 CSFIntracarb 60 filler

Behaviour of MFC in the tensile stress-strain curve

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 40

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

28% filler no MFC28% filler with 1,7% MFC

Displacement (mm)

Forc

e (N

)

Pilot study80% Eucalyptus, 20% NBSK, 500 CSFIntracarb 60 filler

Behaviour of MFC in the tensile stress-strain curve

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 40

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

28% filler no MFC28% filler with 1,7% MFC

Displacement (mm)

Forc

e (N

)

+ 0,6 %-units of stretch+ 21%

+ 24% Tensile

Pilot study80% Eucalyptus, 20% NBSK, 500 CSFIntracarb 60 filler

Impact of MFC on paper tensile

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 4010

15

20

25

30

35

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Tens

ile In

dex

(Nm

/g)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

1

2

3

4

5

6

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Bre

akin

g el

onga

tion

(%)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Tens

ile E

nerg

y A

bsor

ptio

n (J

/kg)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Youn

gs m

odul

us (G

Pa)

Tensile Elongation

TEA Modulus

Lab studyMesmer recirculating hand sheets (12 sheets)70% Eucalyptus, 30% NBSK, 550 CSFIntracarb 60 filler

Impact of MFC on optical properties

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 4087

88

89

90

91

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Brig

htne

ss (%

at D

65 –

400

nm

)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 4082

84

86

88

90

92

94

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Opa

city

(%)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40500

600

700

800

900

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

S (c

m2/

g))

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 403

3.5

4

4.5

5

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

K (c

m2/

g)

Brightness Opacity

Scattering Absorption

Lab studyMesmer recirculating hand sheets (12 sheets)70% Eucalyptus, 30% NBSK, 550 CSFIntracarb 60 filler

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Poro

sity

, Ben

tsen

(ml/m

in)

Impact of MFC on other properties

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400123456789

10

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Dra

inag

e tim

e (s

ek)

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400.5

0.55

0.6

0.65

0.7

No MFCPolynomial (No MFC)3% MFCPolynomial (3% MFC)5% MFCPolynomial (5% MFC)

Paper filler content (%)

Den

sity

(g/c

m3)

Porosity Density

Initial drainage

Lab studyMesmer recirculating hand sheets (12 sheets)70% Eucalyptus, 30% NBSK, 550 CSFIntracarb 60 filler

• The porosity impact can be important for hold-out of ink or coating colour.

• Density can be regained by trading the positive impact on smoothness and bond strength with less intense calendering and/or use of coarser fiber, such as CTMP.

• While initial drainage slows down there is a positive impact on couch and press solids.

FiberLeanTM performance summary

Tensile Index

Tear Index

Scott Bond

TEAOpacity

Porosity

Density

-100%

0%

100%

20% filler, No MFC 30% filler, 3% MFC

Date Title of the presentation14

Full scale results from adding FiberLean to increase filler level in a woodfree paper

0 5 10 15 20 250

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Addition of FiberLean with 20% MFC content (%)

Tens

ile s

tren

gth

MD Tensile

CD Tensile

2% MFC+8% filler

4% MFC+16% filler

The strength of the paperis maintained at increasinglevels of filler and MFC.

Beyond the primary target application of filler increase in P&W papers there are new product development opportunities to pursue

Based on porosity reduction• Improved hold-out of coatings

Based on strength and opacity• De-materialisation

Reduction in coat weight to reach a given gloss level

Adding FiberLean™ MFC to specialty paper at constant filler loadingall chemical pulp at 250 CSF and 20% filler

Tensile Energy

AbsorptionTear Index Scott Bond

Bendtsen Porosity

Opacity

J/kg mN m 2 /g J/m 2 ml/min %

Reference 792 5,7 209 258 87,8

1% MFC 924 5,7 288 180 88,2

2% MFC 859 5,8 291 114 88,3

4% MFC 1224 6,5 377 104 88,8

To facilitate applications like this FiberLean can be supplied at up to 50% MFC contentwith the balance being almost any type of mineral filler.

Selecting correct filler loading to reach a given opacity and strength at minimum basis weight

Target strength and opacity

Filler content (%)

Basis

wei

ght (

g/m

2 )

No filler - minimum sheet weight for required strength

No filler - minimum sheet weight for required opacity

No filler - minimum sheet weight for required opacity

Selecting correct filler loading and sheet weight with FiberLean™ Pilot paper machine data

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%30

40

50

60

70

80

90

84% Opacity no mfc 84% Opacity 2% mfc 84% Opacity 3% mfc 84% Opacity 4% mfc

Total Filler Loading

g/m

2 fo

r ta

rge

t

Selecting correct filler loading and sheet weight with FiberLean™ Pilot paper machine data

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%30

40

50

60

70

80

90

84% Opacity no mfc 84% Opacity 2% mfc 84% Opacity 3% mfc 84% Opacity 4% mfc

Total Filler Loading

g/m

2 fo

r ta

rge

t

Constant opacity

Selecting correct filler loading and sheet weight with FiberLean™ Pilot paper machine data

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%30

40

50

60

70

80

90

84% Opacity no mfc 84% Opacity 2% mfc 84% Opacity 3% mfc

84% Opacity 4% mfc 1,5 kN/m tensile strength no mfc Power (1,5 kN/m tensile strength no mfc)

1,5 kN/m tensile strength 2% mfc Power (1,5 kN/m tensile strength 2% mfc) 1,5 kN/m tensile strength 3% mfc

Power (1,5 kN/m tensile strength 3% mfc) 1,5 kN/m tensile strength 4% mfc Power (1,5 kN/m tensile strength 4% mfc)

Total Filler Loading

g/m

2 fo

r ta

rge

t

Constant opacity

Constant strength

Selecting correct filler loading and sheet weight with FiberLean™ Pilot paper machine data

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%30

40

50

60

70

80

90

84% Opacity no mfc 84% Opacity 2% mfc 84% Opacity 3% mfc

84% Opacity 4% mfc 1,5 kN/m tensile strength no mfc Power (1,5 kN/m tensile strength no mfc)

1,5 kN/m tensile strength 2% mfc Power (1,5 kN/m tensile strength 2% mfc) 1,5 kN/m tensile strength 3% mfc

Power (1,5 kN/m tensile strength 3% mfc) 1,5 kN/m tensile strength 4% mfc Power (1,5 kN/m tensile strength 4% mfc)

Total Filler Loading

g/m

2 fo

r ta

rge

t

Paper with no MFC63 g/m2

8% filler84% opacity1,5 kN/m tensile

Paper with 2% MFC53 g/m2

17% filler84% opacity1,5 kN/m tensile

Paper with 4% MFC48 g/m2

21% filler84% opacity1,5 kN/m tensile

58 g/m2

Fiber

44 g/m2

Fiber 38 g/m2

Fiber

Summary and conclusions

MFC is now available for commercial use in papermaking Filler increase in P&W paper is a key application Several product development projects for packaging and specialty

papers are ongoing Using MFC and filler to tailor a paper grade to required opacity and

strength targets with minimum material use offers one of the most exciting opportunities.

Acknowledgements

To my colleagues at Imerys FiberLean R&D in Par Moor Centre in the UK who have done most of the test work, and especially to Dr Jon Phipps, who designed and ran the constant opacity/strength experiments.

Source: Peter Callesen, www.petercallesen.com

Thank you!