Extracted wood polymers and colloidal pitch stabiliy under high ionic strength

Pitch deposits have plagued papermakers for many decades. Little is understood, however about the stability of pitch in the presence of extracted wood polymers especially under the high ionic strength conditions typical of system closure. This paper explores the effect of extracted wood polymers released by the pulp fibres on the stability of pitch colloids. The effect of extracted wood polymers on pitch colloidal stability was found to vary depending on how the wood polymers were added. Coagulation and aggregation of the wood polymers were to occur under high ionic strength. Further, the pitch colloids were found to undergo two states of destabilisation due to the addition of extracted wood polymers to the colloid. The stabilisation of the colloids is affected by both the ionic strength and the time allowed for colloidal reorganisation.