Abstract
In the 1950s a new family of papermaking additives was developed – polyacrylamides [1]. Polyacrylamides are made by polymerising acrylamide solution using free-radical catalysts, to form a linear, non-ionic polymer [2].
The average molecular weight can vary from a few thousands to several millions, depending upon the polymerisation conditions, and may be formed as a powder, water-based solution or water in oil emulsion.
Since the original introduction of polyacrylamides, considerable development has taken place, and their use is now regarded as standard in most mills. Three major applications have become established: retention, water treatment (from save-all to effluent plant) and as a dry strength resin.
Non-ionic polyacrylamides, although somewhat effective as retention aids, are essentially non-substantive to fibres. Anionic groups can, however, be formed on the polyacrylamide by introducing sodium acrylate or acrylic acid to the monomer solution to form a copolymer. The quantity of sodium acrylate will define just how anionic the polymer becomes. Typical substitution levels are in the range of 5–10 mole%, although higher levels are possible. Lower charge anionic polymers can be produced by hydrolysing some of the acrylamide, thus avoiding the need to use two different monomers.
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Jenkins, S. (2009). The Improvement of Dry Strength by Synthetic Polymers. In: Thorn, I., Au, C. (eds) Applications of Wet-End Paper Chemistry. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6038-0_7
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