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Can Polycarboxylate Polyether Monomer be used in the paper industry

Polycarboxylate polyether monomer (PCE monomer) is widely known for its application in high-performance water reducing agents for concrete, but its unique molecular structure, comb-shaped hydrophobic main chain, and hydrophilic polyether side chain also make it a widely used and highly promising additive in the paper industry. Polycarboxylate polyether monomers are usually not used directly in papermaking, but the polycarboxylate salt polymers derived from them have shown great application prospects in the papermaking industry, especially as efficient dispersants.

What is Polycarboxylate Polyether Monomer

Polycarboxylate Polyether Monomer is a special type of macromolecular monomer. They are the basic raw materials for the production of polycarboxylate high-performance water-reducing agents (PCE), a revolutionary concrete admixture.
Its molecular structure usually has the following characteristics:

A polymerizable double bond (such as an acrylic or methacrylate group) forms the basis for their connection to form a long polymer chain (main chain).
One or more polyethylene oxide (PEO) side chains extend from the main chain like combs.

When these monomers polymerize, the resulting polycarboxylate polymer (PCE) has a unique “comb-like” structure. In concrete, this structure can efficiently disperse cement particles through steric hindrance and electrostatic repulsion, thereby significantly reducing water consumption while greatly improving the fluidity and strength of concrete.

This powerful dispersal ability demonstrates its potential for application in the paper industry.

The common polycarboxylate monomers we use include HEPG 2400, TPEG 2400, and EPEG 3000…

The key demand for chemicals in the modern paper industry

The papermaking process is essentially a process of uniformly dispersing plant fibers (pulp) and functional fillers in water, and then dehydrating and shaping them. In this process, chemical additives play a crucial role, with main requirements including:

Efficient dispersion: Both the fibers themselves and inorganic fillers such as calcium carbonate (CaCO) and kaolin added to improve paper whiteness, opacity, and printing performance must be uniformly dispersed in water. Poor dispersion can lead to problems such as filler agglomeration, paper spots, and reduced strength.
Retention and Drainage: During the paper forming process, it is necessary to retain as many fine fibers and fillers as possible in the paper while allowing moisture to quickly filter out.
Scaling: controls the paper’s resistance to liquid penetration, determining whether the paper is used for writing or packaging.
Foam Control: High-speed mixing in the production process is easy to produce a lot of foam, which affects production efficiency and paper quality.

Polycarboxylate Polyether Monomer used in the paper industry

As an efficient dispersant for fillers and coatings

This is the most mature and promising application of polycarboxylate polymers in the papermaking field. Traditional filler dispersants, such as polyacrylic acid salts, may perform poorly in certain high-solid-content or finely ground systems. The advantages of polycarboxylate polymer are:

Excellent dispersion efficiency: Its unique comb-like structure provides strong spatial hindrance, preventing agglomeration of filler particles such as calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide, and maintaining the slurry’s low viscosity even at high filler concentrations.
Increasing the amount of filler added: Due to the good dispersion, the slurry’s flowability is maintained, allowing a higher proportion of inexpensive fillers to be added to the paper, thereby reducing costs and improving the paper’s whiteness and opacity.
Reducing grinding energy consumption: Adding PCE as a dispersant during the preparation of filler slurries (e.g., calcium carbonate grinding) can significantly reduce slurry viscosity, thereby reducing the energy required for grinding.
Improving coating performance: PCE can be used as a coating dispersant in the paper coating process, enhancing coating fluidity and stability, resulting in a smoother, more uniform coating and improved printing quality.

Potential as a retention and filtration aid

By carefully designing the molecular structure of polycarboxylate polyether monomer (such as adjusting the charge density of the main chain and the length and density of the side chains), it is theoretically possible to endow them with specific retention and filtration functions. Weak coagulation with fibers and fillers, it helps small particles stay in the paper. However, research and application in this area are not as extensive as their use as dispersants.

Improve the physical properties of paper

A uniformly dispersed filler means that the internal structure of the paper is more uniform, which helps improve the smoothness and forming uniformity of the paper, and reduces the loss of paper strength caused by particle agglomeration.

Challenges and precautions faced when Polycarboxylate Polyether Monomer be used in the paper industry

Despite the broad prospects, introducing polycarboxylate polymers into papermaking systems is not without challenges:

Cost issue: Compared to traditional sodium polyacrylate dispersants, the cost of specially formulated polycarboxylate polymers is usually higher. Its application must demonstrate economic value through performance improvements and comprehensive cost reductions (e.g., increasing filler use and reducing energy consumption).

System compatibility: The wet-end chemical environment in papermaking is highly complex, containing various cationic, anionic, and nonionic chemicals. The newly introduced polycarboxylate polymer must be well compatible with existing additive systems (such as sizing agents, reinforcing agents, dyes, etc.) to avoid mutual interference.

Foaming property: the polyether side chain has some surface activity and may introduce foam under high-speed shear during production. Therefore, it is necessary to choose low foaming PCE products or use them in combination with defoamers.

The professionalism of molecular design: It is not advisable to directly use concrete water reducers on the market for papermaking. Polycarboxylate polymers used in papermaking require specialized molecular design to adapt to the pH value, ionic strength, and specific requirements of the papermaking system.

Conclusion

Polycarboxylate polyether monomers are a practical, high-performance additive suitable for the paper industry. They can address high viscosity in high-solid-content pulp, help paper mills increase filler dosage, and improve product quality. Its multifunctionality, environmental friendliness, and compatibility with modern papermaking processes make it an ideal alternative to traditional additives.

If you are truly looking for suitable polycarboxylate polyether monomer, please contact us. We provide high-quality products.