Addition of carboxymethylcellulose to the kraft cook

The physical attachment of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) onto kraft pulps during cooking and the effects of subsequent bleaching in an OD(EOP)DD sequence were investigated. Two CMC grades with different molecular weights and different degrees of substitution (D.S.) were used, CMC Finnfix WRH and CMC Cekol DVG. The effect of the CMC was studied by measuring the increase in the total charge density as well as in the surface charge density. In this way, both the total amount of attached CMC and the amount of the CMC attached onto the surface of the fibres Could be determined. Hand-sheets were made to study the effects of CMC addition on the physical properties of the paper. Different amounts of CMC were added to find the optimum, which was determined to be 1% CMC on wood. The proportion of CMC attached at a level addition of 1% (on wood) was about 40%. It was, however, found that a large part of the CMC was degraded during the cook. Whereas high molecular weight CMC is attached onto the surface of fibres, the degraded CMC is attached to the interior of the cell wall, decreasing the efficiency of the CIVIC to enhance the joint strength between fibres. The tensile index increased significantly, approximately 10% after beating to 2000 PFI revolutions, when 1% CMC Finnfix WRH on wood was added. The CMC Cekol DVG grade showed the greatest increase in tensile index, approximately 12% at 2000 PFI revolutions. The results of the bleaching of a sample treated with CMC Finnfix WRH showed that a part of the effect of CMC remains after bleaching. Most of the reduction in the positive effect was due to a loss of CMC molecules from the fibre surface.