Foam forming revisited: Part II. Effect of surfactant on the properties of foam-formed paper products

This article focuses on the properties of paper samples made using foam-laid technology. The effects of three surfactants, namely sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), sodium alkyl ether sulphate (SAES), and linear chain alkyl polyglucoside (C8/C10-Gluc), on properties of foam formed paper samples were studied, using chemithermo-mechanical (CTMP) spruce pulp and bleached kraft pulp. The results show that the type of surfactant used in foam forming has significant effects on the mechanical properties and quality of paper. In the presence of ionic polymers, the charge of surfactant has a significant effect on the formation of the paper sample. It was also shown that at AKD dosages ≥ 3 kg/t, the water absorbency of water formed paper samples was greater than that of foam-formed samples made using C8/C10-Gluc. Foam-forming also produced greater dryness after forming and wet-pressing than the water forming method. The type and dosage of surfactant had a significant impact on dewatering. Filler retention of foam-formed samples was significantly higher when using a non-ionic surfactant instead of an anionic surfactant. The effect of the strength additive (cationic starch) in increasing the strength of foam-formed samples was less in the presence of anionic surfactants than with non-ionic surfactants.