Control Of Wet Strength Resin Fouling Of Paper-Making Felt

Abstract

Methods and systems for making paper and controlling wet strength resin fouling of paper-making felt are provided. Wet strength resin fouling, including degradation, clogging, changes in absorption, or a combination thereof, can be controlled by applying a formulation that contains an organic acid, to the felt, before a paper-making pulp containing wet strength resin is applied to the felt. The formulation can include, for example, an alpha-hydroxy acid such as glycolic acid. In addition to the at least one organic acid, the formulation can include various surfactants, polymers, amines, emulsifiers, wetting agents, and/or other additives.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making paper, comprising:
 treating a paper-making felt with a formulation, the paper-making felt being susceptible to wet strength resin fouling when contacted with a wet strength resin, the formulation comprising at least one organic acid;   applying paper-making pulp to the paper-making felt after the treating, the paper-making pulp comprising the wet strength resin; and   making a paper from the paper-making pulp applied to the paper-making felt, wherein the at least one organic acid is applied to the paper-making felt in an amount effective to control wet strength resin fouling due to the wet strength resin in the paper-making pulp.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the paper-making felt comprises a continuous belt. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wet strength resin fouling comprises degradation, clogging, or both. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wet strength resin comprises an epichlorohydrin resin. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wet strength resin comprises poly(amideamine)epichlorohydrin (PAE). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one organic acid comprises an alpha-hydroxy acid. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one organic acid comprises glycolic acid. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying additional amounts of the formulation to the paper-making felt after making the paper. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the paper-making felt comprises a rotating continuous conveyor belt and the formulation is applied at least once per revolution of the rotating conveyor belt. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treating comprises spraying the formulation onto the paper-making felt. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treating comprises soaking the paper-making felt in a solution comprising the formulation. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation comprises a solution of the at least one organic acid and the pH of the solution is from about 1 to about 3. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation further comprises at least one non-ionic surfactant, at least one washing surfactant, at least one wetting agent, at least one cationic surfactant, and water. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation further comprises at least one surfactant, at least one amine, at least one emulsifier, at least one wetting agent, and water. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation further comprises at least amine, at least one washing surfactant, at least one emulsifier, at least one wetting agent, at least one cationic surfactant, and water. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation further comprises at least one alcohol amine. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation further comprises at least one monoethanolamine. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one organic acid comprises glycolic acid and the formulation further comprises at least one propylene oxide ethylene oxide block copolymer surfactant, at least one secondary alcohol ethoxylate non-ionic surfactant, at least one alcohol ethylene oxide non-ionic surfactant, alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, and water. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation comprises from about 2.0 wt. % to about 12 wt. % of at least one non-ionic surfactant, from about 1.5 wt. % to about 7.5 wt. % of at least one cationic surfactant, from about 15 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of at least one organic acid, from about 1.0 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of at least one washing surfactant, from about 0.5 wt. % to about 5.5 wt. % of at least one wetting agent, based on the total weight of the formulation, and water. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation comprises from about 6.0 wt. % to about 8.0 wt. % of at least one propylene oxide ethylene oxide block copolymer surfactant, from about 4.0 wt. % to about 6.0 wt. % of at least one alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, from about 20 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of glycolic acid, from about 4.0 wt. % to about 6.0 wt. % of at least one secondary alcohol ethoxylate non-ionic surfactant, from about 2.0 wt. % to about 4.0 wt. % of at least one alcohol ethylene oxide non-ionic surfactant, based on the total weight of the formulation, and water. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one organic acid is present in a stoichiometric amount to react with substantially all of the wet strength resin that would otherwise react with the paper-making felt. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one organic acid comprises glycolic acid, the wet strength resin comprises poly(amideamine epichlorohydrin (PAE), and the glycolic acid is present in a stiochiometrically sufficient amount to react with substantially all of the wet strength resin that would otherwise react with the paper-making felt. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the paper-making felt comprises a grid made of a polymer containing, as a recurring amide group, CONH. 
     
     
         24 . A method to control wet strength resin fouling on a paper-making felt comprising:
 treating a paper-making felt with a formulation, the paper-making felt being susceptible to wet strength resin fouling when contacted with a wet strength resin, the formulation comprising at least one organic acid; and   making a paper on the paper-making felt using a paper-making pulp comprising a wet strength resin;   wherein the at least one organic acid is applied to the paper-making felt in an amount effective to control wet strength resin fouling due to the wet strength resin in the paper-making pulp.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the wet strength resin fouling comprises degradation, clogging, or both. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the wet strength resin comprises poly(amideamine)epichlorohydrin (PAE). 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one organic acid comprises an alpha-hydroxy acid. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one organic acid comprises glycolic acid. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the formulation further comprises at least one non-ionic surfactant, at least one washing surfactant, at least one wetting agent, at least one cationic surfactant, and water. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one organic acid comprises glycolic acid and the formulation further comprises at least one propylene oxide ethylene oxide block copolymer surfactant, at least one secondary alcohol ethoxylate non-ionic surfactant, at least one alcohol ethylene oxide non-ionic surfactant, n-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, and water. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one organic acid is present in a stoichiometric amount to react with substantially all of the wet strength resin that would otherwise react with the paper-making felt. 
     
     
         32 . A system for making paper, comprising:
 a paper-making felt that is susceptible to wet strength resin fouling when contacted with a wet strength resin;   at least one applicator configured to treat the paper-making felt with a formulation comprising at least one organic acid;   a source of the formulation in fluid communication with the applicator;   a paper-making former to apply a paper-making pulp with the wet strength resin, to the paper-making felt located downstream from said at least one applicator; and   a source of the paper-making pulp in fluid communication the paper-making former;   wherein the at least one applicator is configured to apply an amount of the formulation effective to control wet strength resin fouling due to the wet strength resin in the paper-making pulp.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the formulation comprises glycolic acid. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the wet strength resin in the paper-making pulp comprises poly(amideamine)epichlorohydrin (PAE) resin. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the paper-making felt comprises a grid made of a polymer containing, as a recurring amide group, CONH. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation comprises from about 0.2 wt. % to about 12 wt. % of at least one non-ionic surfactant, from about 0.15 wt. % to about 7.5 wt. % of at least one cationic surfactant, from about 1.5 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of at least one organic acid, from about 0.1 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of at least one washing surfactant, from about 0.05 wt. % to about 5.5 wt. % of at least one wetting agent, based on the total weight of the formulation, and water. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation comprises from about 0.2 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of at least one emulsifier, from about 0.1 wt % to about 8 wt % of at least one amine or alcohol amine; from about 5 wt. % to about 25 wt. % of at least one cationic surfactant, from about 1.5 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of at least one organic acid, from about 0.1 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of at least one washing surfactant, from about 0.05 wt. % to about 6 wt. % of at least one wetting agent, based on the total weight of the formulation, and water.