Refining
- From the very origins of paper, refining has been present, in the form of stamping hammers in the beginning to the form of sophisticated pressurized disc refiners nowadays
- The emergence of Fourdrinier paper machine in 1799 imposed the need to achieve stability in the degree of refining.
- Refining is by far the most critical process into furnish preparation for the paper machine, as it consumes high amounts of energy, requires expensive machinery, and ultimately defines the quality of the paper produced.
- Throughout the 20th century the control of the refining degree was mainly done through the measurement of the drainability according to Schopper-Riegler and to Canadian Freeness.
- Regardless having become mainstream, the drainability is a limited method, poorly correlated to the effective fibrillation of the pulp fibers, the real goal of refining.
- Digital technologies emerged in the twilight of the 20th century enabled the development of new measurement techniques, and fiber morphology analysis per images according to ISO 16605-2 stands out in the 21st century as the most accurate method for control of refining.
Product for this application : MORFI OL
- MorFi performs a complete morphological analysis of the entire fibrous population – fibers and fines – characterizing it by length, width, coarseness, fibrillation, curl, kink, area, population, and wall thickness, as well further fibrous elements like shives and vessels
- MorFi OL is the perfect tool for on-line quick, accurate and objective assessment of refining, being an unequable testing solution for several key areas :
- control of incoming raw materials, especially bales recycled papers
- control of refining, aiming for higher fiber quality output with lower energy
- evaluation of the performance and lifetime of refining discs
- MorFi OL is available also as laboratory version, small, offline and perfect for R&D of market pulp, providing identical test results to MorFi OL, ensuring objective upscaling to the process of results achieved in the laboratory
Key Features & Highlights
- Automatic sampling – MorFi OL controls up to eight remote pulp samplers, up to 200 m distances, enabling automatic 24/7 operation and matching process control requirements
- Automatic dilution and cleaning – MorFi OL ensures consistent sample preparation, improved repeatability, and easier operator workflow
- Automatic and Fast analysis – MorFi OL completes one analysis every seven minutes
- Advanced analytics – PCA and statistical tools for process stability in option
- Data export – PDF & Excel® reports, OPC/DCS connectivity in option
- Rugged – MorFi OL is built in a stainless steel cabinet for direct installation in production areas and its rugged and consecrated design requires minimal maintenance
In Summary
Fiber Morphology, fundamental for R&D of pulp and pulp processing, became mainstream in the pulp and paper industries in the 21st century, thanks to unmatched accuracy, repeatability, and ease of use modern on-line fiber analyzers, which provide quickly and accurately a common analytical language between Process, Quality Control and R&D teams — enabling dynamic integration in the development, understanding and optimization of fibrous materials.