Stickies control Chemical Receives US EPA's P2 Recognition Program Award

The US Environmental Protectiona Agency has recognised a Clariant paper chemical in its 2007 P2 Recognition Project Award. The product, known as Cartaspers PSM liquid, was selected from the chemicals submitted to the EPA throughout the year for registration (Pre-manufacturing Notice P2 Screening). Only three such awards were made for 2007 for innovative chemistry and technologies that have an environmental benefit - prevent pollution; save energy and water etc.

Cartaspers PSM liq is primarily used to control paper machine 'stickies'. It is a water-based, hydrophilic, polyester dispersion, which adsorbs onto and modifies the surfaces of non-polar substances. It has no affinity for hydrophilic material, such as cellulose fibres, but adsorbs strongly onto synthetic fibres, resinous substances, recycled adhesive and latex particles. The adsorbed Cartaspers covers the sticky particles, increases the surface energy (makes it more hydrophilic or water loving), and makes it both easier to disperse and less likely to deposit and contaminate process machinery.

Keeping the papermaking machinery free of "stickies" such as latex, adhesives, pitch and resins, inherent in recycled paper, usually requires a shut down for cleaning. Reducing the number of shut-downs increases effficiency (less energy, water) and reduces the amount of cleaning materials used - typically volatile and flammable solvents.

The EPA recognised that Cartaspers PSM, "provides reduced worker exposure to volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and improved paper machine operational efficiency during the use of post-consumer waste in the production of paper products."

Cartasperse PSM liquid was developed in Clariant's Global Paper Chemical laboratories in the UK and is an innovation based on chemistry acquired in the merger with Hoechst Speciality Chemicals in 1997. More recently, the product was introduced introduced into the North American market and registered with the US EPA.