Application Of Water-based Dispersants in The Papermaking Industry

Water based dispersants can reduce the aggregation of solid or liquid particles in the dispersion system, adsorb on the surface of various small particles, and generate electrostatic repulsion to disperse them, avoiding sedimentation and coarsening. Mainly divided into: fatty acids, fatty amides, and esters; Paraffins; Metal soap; Low molecular weight waxes.

The mechanism of action of water-based dispersants is that the addition of anionic or non-ionic surfactants in the slurry reduces the surface tension of the slurry suspension, improves the wettability of the fiber surface, and reduces the flocculation caused by hydrophobicity of the fibers.

A large amount of water-based dispersants are used in the papermaking process, so what is the main role of water-based dispersants throughout the entire process?
1. Endowing fibers with surface charges, making them almost exclusively anionic surfactants.
2. Cover the fiber surface to protect the colloid.
3. Form a viscous state around the fibers to prevent fiber collision and aggregation.
4. Surfactants have good suspension performance as adsorbents, adsorbing on the surface of fibers to form a water film, allowing fibers to slide against each other without entanglement.
5. The change in surface wettability of fibers also reduces the friction between fibers, reduces the opportunity for fiber adhesion, changes the dynamic electric charge on fibers, increases the negative charge on fibers, and increases the repulsive force between fibers, Thus forming a stable negatively charged suspension.