The TAPPI Papermaking Additives Committee is hosting a quarterly webinar series, Fill your Wet End Chemistry Toolbox to Improve Your Productivity, Stability, and Efficiency, designed to dive deeper into the science & technology of Wet End Chemistry. This four part series will be hosted by Dr. Przemyslaw Pruszynski of Nalco, an Ecolab company, and will expand on certain topics covered in the committee’s annual Wet End Chemistry Course. 

The second installment of the series will be on Thursday June 4th at noon EST and will focus on Retention Programs—Chemistry, Application, Stability, and Link to Sheet Qualilty. To register for this complimentary webinar visit Wet End Chemistry Webinar Registration. 

Retention is one of the key wet end chemistry applications on a paper machine. It allows for incorporation into sheet structure all components of furnish despite large differences in their size. Retention programs work through the flocculation of furnish elements and deliver additional benefits of increased drainage in the early phase of sheet formation. The relative importance of retention and drainage benefits changes based on grades of paper/board and the product’s basis weight. 

 

Retention programs allow you to maintain desired yield of operations and effective utilization of other additives. They are sensitive to a number of wet end chemistry factors discussed in our first webinar pH, conductivity, and cationic demand. Knowledge of this material will be useful in understanding sources of variation, control strategies, and process stabilization efforts. Proper selection and application of retention programs is very important in managing their potential negative impact on formation.

 

This webinar will discuss retention fundamentals, retention additives, retention programs, and their selection and retention program application. Throughout the presentation, we will relate to retention program stability and its impact on variety of sheet quality. Upcoming topics include Managing Extractives and Stability and Potential Incompatibilities.

 

Dr. Pruszynski is one of the foremost experts in wet end chemistry and currently serves as Global Technical Specialist in paper chemistry with Nalco, an Ecolab company. Przem received his MSc and PhD from the University of Poznan, Poland, in the area of Physical Organic Chemistry where he taught for 12 years. After moving to Canada, he continued his research and teaching at Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S., and the University of Toronto. The industrial part of his career started at Dow Chemical Research in the Forest Products Group. He joined Nalco in 1992 and has spent the last 23 years occupying various technical positions.

Przem is the author and coauthor of close to 100 papers and conference contributions. He is also a frequent instructor at PAPTAC and TAPPI professional courses. Przem is a recipient of Jasper Mardon Memorial Prize for contribution to Science and Technology of Papermaking. His areas of expertise include water chemistry, wet-end chemistry, papermaking chemistry, mechanical pulping and bleaching, papermaking, and paper properties. 

The papermaking additives committee is an active part of the Paper and Board Division. More information about this and other TAPPI committees is available online.