TAPPI Journal Awards Best Research Paper for 2023
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Each year, the TAPPI Journal (TJ) Editorial Board honors exemplary content by nominating and voting for the Best Research Paper based on scientific merit, innovation, creativity, and clarity.
The paper recently selected as best in 2023 was titled “Pilot scale black liquor concentration using pressure driven membrane separation.” Authored by Sam Rae and co-authored by Ella V. Richards, Max Kleiman-Lynch, Brent D. Keller, and Brandon I. MacDonald, all from Via Separations in Watertown, Massachusetts, the paper appeared in the April 2023 issue and is now available for free download. Rae is a chemical engineer, Richards is Materials and Testing team lead, Kleiman-Lynch is a process engineer, Keller is CTO and co-founder, and MacDonald is director of Product.
The April 2023 issue was a special TJ edition featuring peer-reviewed content from the 2022 TAPPI PEERS/IBBC conference.
“This paper details the first successful pilot scale applications of black liquor concentration within an evaporator train using membrane-based technology,” said Peter Hart, Ph.D., editor-in-chief of TAPPI Journal. “By using membranes in the weak liquor side of the system, mills will be able to substantially reduce their energy footprint by as much as $2M per year, according to the paper. This paper does an excellent job detailing the actual mill trials and discussing membrane performance, permeate quality, and downtime.”
Author Sam Rae also receives Honghi Tran Award
In addition to receiving Best Research Paper honors as primary author, Rae will also receive TJ’s Honghi Tran award. The $2,000 cash prize is endowed by Professor Emeritus Honghi Tran, Ph.D., of the University of Toronto, the author and co-author of more than 80 papers published in TJ. Tran established the award in 2019 to encourage and reward the publication of high-quality research in TJ.
The awards will be presented at TAPPICon, April 28-May 1, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
The 2023 runner-up was “Surface energy considerations for offset printing of coated paper and paperboard,” authored by Janet Preston and co-authored by Andrew Findlay, Jonathan Keen, and Eli Gaskin. Preston is a senior scientist and technical support specialist, while Findlay is technical support director for Paper and Board, Keen is a former student researcher, and Gaskin is project leader for Packaging Applications at Imerys Minerals in Par, England, UK.
"This paper details a study of the relative contributions of surface roughness, porosity and related pore network structure, and surface energy on offset print quality of coated paper surfaces,” said Steve Ottone, member of the TAPPI Journal Editorial Board. “Roughness, porosity, and related pore network structure were determined as key factors in print quality.” The research appeared in the November 2023 special coating issue and is also available as a free download.
Editorial Board Leadership Updates for 2024
TJ’s Editorial Board also announced a rotation in its leadership for 2024. Current Associate Editor Peter Hart, Ph.D., will become Editor-in-Chief, and Maria Soledad Peresin, Ph.D., will become the new Associate Editor. Hart is director, Fiber Technology and Innovation, WestRock. Peresin is associate professor, Forest Biomaterials, at Auburn University.
