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 TECHNICAL REPORT

Surface sizing basics

Surface sizes help provide a he function of surface sizing is saturate the paper and give lower
range of characteristics to
the paper sheet. Peter de
Clerck looks at some of the
T quite different from that of in
ternal sizing. Whereas the lat
ter provides water repellancy, surface
opacity, as for example in glassine
papers.
Erasability: This requires surface
sizing is used primarily to keep col resistance to abrasion and ink
fundamentals of surface loidal solutions such as writing inks penetration with the ability to retain
sizing and the ways that from penetrating the paper surface. both a good surface and sizing after
careful application can Water repellancy is undesirable for erasure. Good internal and surface
writing papers or commercial rulings sizing are both needed to provide
improve paper qualities. where migration of the water into the good erasability. Surface sizing im
sheet is the main method of ink proves erasability by reducing ink
drying, leaving the colloidal pigment penetration and increasing abrasion
particles on the sized surface. Hence resistance by promoting inter-fibre
good internal sizing is no guarantee of bonding. The ideal condition is a
good writing qualities. strong, well-bonded body stock.
Surface sizing is also necessary for Oil resistance: Surface sizing in
paper to be used with oil-vehicle creases the contact angle against oil,
printing inks. The desired effect is to providing a relatively continuous,
filter Out the ink pigments while al non-porous film impervious to oil
lowing the oil vehicle to migrate into penetration.
the body of the paper. Slow ink The oil resistance properties are
drying, resulting in "set-off" and important for gloss ink printing, as the
smearing, may occur if the migration surface absorbency must be carefully
is too slow. regulated. If too little surface size is
used the paper absorbs too much ink
Why surface size? during printing. This gives a high "ink
Physical properties: The applied demand" and a flat, unattractive print.
starch penetrates into the sheet and Conversely, too much surface size
increases inter-fibre bonding, result results in excessive ink holdout and
Peter de Clerck above is Technical Ser ing in increased burst and tensile slow ink drying which causes "set-
vice Manager with A vebe Far East Pte strengths together with a very large off’ and smudging. A maximum of
Ltd in Singapore improvement in fold strength. The in 1.5-2 g/m2 starch per side is recom
creased strength may allow mended.
the mill to use a cheaper fur- Writing qualities. The surface film
- nish, or to reduce its refining "filters out" the pigments in ordinary
THE INCLINED SIZE PRESS and so achieve easier writing inks, so preventing "feather
drainage on the wire and bet ing". The size reduces the porosity of
ter hydrostability in the sheet, the sheet surface, improves the
giving fewer cockles and less smoothness and surface strength, and
curl. cements down any protruding fibres.
Another effect is the im The surface properties are also im
provement of surface portant for printing, as modern rapid-
strength or scuff resistance. drying inks dry either through
This reduces "fluffing" on penetration of the vehicle into the
the printing press, a particular paper or by solvent evaporation. Most
problem with offset litho of these inks contain a water-miscible
printing. Fibre picking on the non-volatile surfactant to promote ink
after-dryers is reduced. Stiff penetration. Many flexographic inks
ness is improved and air per are of this type.
meability reduced. A Pre-coating: Surface sizing may
low-viscous starch solution be applied to give the controlled sur
may also be applied to face characteristics required for a

Asia Pacific Pulp & Paper August 1991 15

*1

TECHNICAL REPORT

subsequent operation. This is espe Sheet factors amount of rosin to such furnishes to
cially useful where the very demand The factors affecting pick-up are eliminate or greatly reduce variations
ing blade coaLer is used. the moisture content, internal sizing, in size press pick-up. Particular care
The more uniform surface absorp smoothness, permeability and corn is required when neutral sizing is
tion of surface sized papers helps to pressability of the sheet. Formation is employed as the development of the
reduce print mottling due to uneven also important as any surface applica size is slower on machine. Often the
binder migration in all types of coated tion emphasises rather than conceals pre-dryer temperature profile must be
paper. Since binder migration is any unevenness or other problem. adjusted for these grades. For Cobb6o
reduced to a controlled level, higher Entering moisture content: Maxi values before the size press we
coating solids contents are then pos mum pick-up occurs at about 10% generally recommend as follows:
sible. Sometimes pigments are added sheet moisture. At very low moisture * well-sized: <25 low viscosity
-

to the surface size to give a pre-coat contents the surface energy of cel oxidised starch
or a lightly pigmented surface. lulose is reduced and the paper is dif * medium-sized: 25 medium vis
-

ficult to wet. Many mills do run size cosity oxidised starch

Starch selection presses with sheet moistures down to * poorly-sized: >25 high vis
-

The properties of the finished 2%, but this is invariably a sign of cosity oxidised starch
paper product must be considered problems further up the paper Permeability/compressability: An
when selecting starch for the size machine that result in a poor moisture elastic, porous sheet may act like a
press. profile. Overdrying is very expensive sponge in the size press nip. The more
Linerboard requires a high ring- in energy as the extra heat has to be permeable the sheet, the greater will
crush value and hence good stiffness. forced into the sheet through a dry be the starch penetration and hence
This is best achieved by main the pick-up. A free-beaten stock
taining the starch on the surface results in the greatest pick-up, as
of the sheet. Hence a relatively does a low size solution vis
high viscous starch is applied to cosity.
ensure only limited penetration. Wet pick up Absorption % Smoothness: The smoothness
For printing paper good sur of the sheet affects the pick-up at
1:
face strength and general the size press by trapping and
strength are required. A medium immobilising a layer of size solu
viscous starch ensures greater tion on the paper surface. The
starch penetration while main smoother the paper surface the
5 10 15
taining surface strength. Mosture of shoe I onto flog size press Rosin kg thinner this boundary layer. The
The main requirement of en roughness of the surface also has
velope paper is good dry a profound effect on the rate of
strength. Maximum starch Variations in wet pick-up and rosin absorption wetting of the paper and on the
penetration is required for rein depth of penetration. Wetting
forcement of inter-fibre bonding, and penetration are increased by
so a low viscosity starch is recom cellulose surface, which is an ex using low solution viscosities,
mended. tremely good insulator. while the boundary layer is increased
It is usually inadvisable to run the with high solution viscosities.
Size press design ingoing sheet at the moisture level
Size press design has passed corresponding to maximum size Solution factors
through various stages. Today the in pick-up because this increases the The viscosity, temperature and
clined size press is most common. It load on the after dryers and results in concentration of a solution are all in
gives a more direct sheet run than the a loss of production. Size presses terdependent; it is not possible to alter
horizontal size press and is easier to usually run at 5-8% sheet moisture, only one factor and not affect the
feed, but maintains most of the with the size solution being adjusted others.
benefits. For example, it eliminates to give the desired pick-up. However, For a given starch solution the vis
the problem of dirt and other material increased concentration increases the cosity may be reduced by lowering
falling from the lead roll into the size viscosity, so a lower viscosity the concentration or raising the
press and reduces the tendency for product may be necessary. Since temperature. This will invariably
wrinkling to occur at the turning roll. lower-viscosity products have lower alter the surface tension of the solu
More recently the diameter of the binding power, a compromise is re tion and hence its ability to wet and
size press rolls has been increased to quired. penetrate the sheet.
improve the equality of pond depth on Internal sizing is particularly im By changing the starch it is pos
the inclined size press and to improve portant for producers of waste-based sible to attain the same viscosity at the
pond stabililty. This was becoming a paper. Initially, internal sizing causes desired temperature but at a different
problem for small diameter size press a rapid drop in starch pick-up at the concentration. The pick-up of starch
rolls turning at high speed. size press, but a minimum pick-up is solution wet-pickup at the size press
A recent innovation is the use of a quickly reached and maintained as may then be the same, but the dry
gate-roll or fountain coater to meter the level ofinternal sizing is increased pick-up will be different due to the
the size solutions onto the size press see graph. different solution concentrations. For
rolls. This eliminates the size pond This shows the rapid decrease in size press application, such a narrow
and allows very accurate size applica pick-up achieved on adding the first 1 band of viscosities is used that the
tion. However, problems have oc kg/ton of rosin. Since wastepaper is relationship of viscosity to degree of
curred with insufficient penetration an extremely variable commodity, it modification may be considered
of the starch solutions so applied. is often valuable to add a small linear for a given temperature and
I Circle reader enquiry number 111
Asia Pacific Pulp & Paper August 1991 17
 _____________ ______

TECHNICAL REPORT

concentration. Another area of concern is the approaches the press nip the
Three points are significant when rope-feed system. This must be hydrodynamic pressure increases and
considering a change of concentra properly designed not only to ensure some liquid is forced into the pores of
tion to increase pick-up: easy feeding of the size press, but also the paper. The sheet is compressed
* Increased concentration will in to avoid the problems of size making and air is forced from the sheet. On
crease the solution viscosity and alter up on the ropes. exiting the nip the sheet will expand,
the level of penetration. A lower-vis Speed: Speed directly affects the taking in liquid like a moist sponge.
cous starch may be required to time available for absorption in the Obviously the porosity, permeability
achieve the penetration necessary to nip and also affects the behaviour of and bulk of the paper and its compres
impart the desired properties to the the size press. Increased speed sibility are factors governing the
sheet. "pumps" more starch solution into the amount of liquid absorbed, as is the
* The increased viscosity may nip of the size press, increasing the size solution viscosity.
produce runnability problems so local pressure and so forcing more As the web leaves the size press
again a lower-viscous starch may be through the nip. This effect is known rolls the liquid film carried through
needed. as hydrodynamic metering. Hence the nip between the roll and the paper
* A lower-viscous starch will have speed increases may result in more or surface splits, probably by a process
lower binding power. less pick-up, depending on which ef of filamentation and cavitation. Ex
fect is dominant. actly where the split occurs depends
Equipment factors As machine speed is increased on the relative surface roughness of
Nip loadings vary from 5-22 from a very low level, the wet pick-up both the paper and the size press rolls,
kg/cm in the horizontal size press to decreases with the absorption time. as a rougher surface traps more solu
4-13 kg/cm in the vertical size press. At a certain point the hydrodynamic tion. The surface roughness is also
The rolls must be accurately important in determining the
crowned for the operating - thickness of the starch film
pressure used, especially in a STARCH PICK-UP: PILOT PLANT TRIAL RESULTS passing through the size
vertical size press, because Hydro-Total press nip.
with too little crown the sheet Absorption Sheet
dynamic wet The whole process of ap
will be "baggy" in the centre. Speed term term termpick-up
Viscosity plication and metering a size
Increased nip loading should cp rn/mm g/m2 g/m2 g/m2 g/m2 solution takes place in only
theoretically reduce pick-up 14 210 17.5 3.5 0.9 21.9 a fraction of a second.
as more starch solution is ex 18 183 17.5 2.2 2.0 21.7 Solution viscosity is im
pressed from the paper in 210 17.5 0.3 33 21.4
3.6 portant in the
mid-nip. Iodine staining of 76 190 17.5 0.0 9.0 26.5 hydrodynamics of the size
paper cross sections have Source: Howarth & Hoyland, UMIST, UK. press nip. The greater the
confirmed that at high nip viscosity the greater is the
loadings greater penetration pressure generated in the
of the starch occurs even size pond by the rotating
though the overall pick-up is rolls. At high speeds the
reduced. This is somewhat metering effect becomes the pressure generated may be
academic as it is not usual to vary the dominant factor and then pick-up in enough to eject the entire contents of
nip loading during normal operation. creases with speed. Hence the wet the nip. This is usually preceded by
Roil hardness and diameter are not pick-up curve passes through a mini "jumping" of the size pond. Larger
readily changed and should be con mum. The machine speed at which rolls are used on high speed size pres
sidered in the initial installation of the this minimum occurs depends on ses mainly because their larger
size press. many factors, including the starch diameters do not "close" the nip so
Pond depth is important as it viscosity and type of paper. rapidly, resulting in a more gradual
governs the contact time and hence At low speed, where absorption is pressure build-up and hence a more
the time available for absorption to the main method of wet pick-up, a stable size pond.
occur. Pick-up increases with pond lower viscosity solution gives a
depth and the effect is more notice higher wet pick-up. At higher speeds In conclusion
able on slower machines. Pond depth a higher solution viscosity results in a It should be noted that in all cases
may only be attended by altering the thicker film being metered through where the absorbency factor is not
end dams and is limited by the size the nip, giving a greater wet pick-up. physically limited by low sheet
press configuration and roll diameter. Mechanism of size pick-up: On weight, the sheet substance has no
Roll surfaces should be smooth entering the size pond there is a slight effect on size press wet pick-up for a
and in good condition, being delay before the sheet surface is given set of sheet characteristics and
reground as necessary. Roll smooth wetted. Absorption then commences. a given size press operating regime.
ness will affect the position of film The amount absorbed depends on the There are many factors influenc
splitting on the emerging paper web. time available ie pond depth and ing the performance of the size press,
Sheet tension is important, as un machine speed, the solution vis a significant number of which are
even tension on the sheet leaving the cosity, the paper type, porosity and fixed by equipment factors or opera
size press will result in uneven migra degree of internal sizing. The wetting tional necessity. For the mill, the big
tion of the starch into the paper. time of the paper surface acts to gest benefits may be obtained by
Starch feed is extremely impor decrease the time available for ab paying attention to the characteristics
tant. Failure to ensure sufficient feed sorption and is a function of surface of the ingoing web and to the quality
pipes across the width of the size smoothness and dryness of the sheet. and properties of a properly selected
press will result in uneven pick-up. Within the size pond, as the web size press solution.

18 Asia Pacific Pulp & Paper August 1991