Bachelor of Science (BS)
in
Paper Engineering
State University of New York
College of Environmental Science and Forestry
(SUNY-ESF)
My undergraduate work towards my Bachelor of Science in Paper Engineering is where I pursued and gained most of my general engineering, paper engineering, and wastewater treatment knowledge and experience. During this degree, I completed a plethora of courses, participated in a variety of clubs and organizations, and was employed in three internships at different paper mills. This educational and industrial experience in engineering and papermaking topics culminated in the Undergraduate Senior Synthesis Design Course: Papermaking Processes.
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Initial Study: Blotter Paper
The first run that we participated in was to make Blotter Paper (or Blotting Paper). This is a thick paper made from a mixture of hardwood, softwood, and cotton fiber. It is utilized in various papermaking activities involving handsheets. Examples include transferring moisture from TAPPI Standard T-205 handsheets and using as holders for small rectangular handsheets made with guests during Open House Events.
The main purpose of making the Blotter Paper Grade was to practice the process of scaling up to the Large Machine (PM#1) and to gain exposure to the various pieces of equipment we would use throughout the semester. These runs also provided Blotter Paper for Departmental use.
With over fourteen people in the papermaking class this semester (Spring 2014), tasks were limited between the participating members. My main responsibility during this run was to trace piping and flows in the wet end section of the paper machine.
Here, you can see two examples of my work. Each are photographs that I took of various sections of the wet end during this run on the Large Paper Machine. Using photo editing software, I labelled the different parts and flows in the system (such as water and stock). This is a skill I developed during my internship work at Norampac where I labeled photos for Standard Operating Procedure and Troubleshooting Manuals.
Paper Grade #1: Art Grade
This paper grade was a custom grade and the only grade made for a client outside of the Chemical Engineering Department (then the Paper and Bioprocess Engineering Department) at SUNY-ESF.
This paper was created for Holly Greenberg - a Syracuse University Professor in Printmaking - and her students for their annual steamroller printmaking event. In this form of art, patterns and images are carved into wooden relief blocks and covered with ink. Then, the ink is transferred onto a medium with a roller and pressure - ranging from a hand roller or small, benchtop sized piece to a block large enough to be covered and pressed with a steamroller.
Typically, this art utilizes a cloth material rolled onto the relief block. However, it was our task to create a paper that had similar capabilities as cloth to partake in the steamroller printmaking project.
This was a collaborative effort between the Paper Engineering Students at SUNY-ESF and the Printmaking Students at Syracuse University as two sets of specifications needed to be met: those that produced the strength needed to withstand pressure from the steam roller, and those that produced the surface needed to properly receive the ink without smudging, ghosting, or picking. As such, testing of the paper by both Paper Engineering Students and Printmaking Students was required through all three phases of the scaling process.
The final product was an off-white paper created from a furnish of hardwood and softwood fibers (Northern Bleached Kraft) and additives such as dye. This paper was given to Holly and the Printmaking Students for various art projects that spanned several years, included steamrolled art pieces.
Here, you can see Printmaking Students testing some of the paper samples on one of their smaller rollers. These rollers are used to simulate the steamroller utilized in the final portion of their art projects. Below that photo, you can see Holly (left) with Printmaking and Paper Engineering Students and some of the test prints on student made paper. Finally, there is a closeup of some of the prints made during the initial planning and testing phases of the grade.
You can also find more information about the collaboration and the process of making this paper here or in the embedded YouTube video.
Paper Grade #2: Greeting Card Stock Grade
This grade is a staple of most student paper runs. Typically, the client for this grade is the Syracuse Pulp and Paper Foundation (SPPF) - who sponsors and supports students with scholarships, networking events, and general career support each year.
The Greeting Card Stock Grade is utilized for mailers that SPPF sends to alumni, faculty, staff, and students. These mailers contain information such as Annual Reports, Event Advertisements and Registration Forms, and Pledge Cards for Donors to the SPPF for Scholarships and Endowments. This is a fun feature that shows alumni the continuation of "Student Made Paper" each year as well!
This particular grade was composed of a similar furnish as the Art Grade, except with a different dye and additional chemicals (AKD or alkyl ketene dimer [a sizing agent] and a Retention and Drainage Aid). This paper also required more calendering to meet target specifications.
Here, you can see myself and another student working with the Bertram Beater and the resulting pulp once refining was complete. This is a refiner that is used to prepare pulp for the Large Paper Machine (PM #1). The pulp is refined prior to mixing in additives. A load is applied to the machine that pushes two rollers closer to each other while maintaining a gap. As the fiber passes through the rollers, the fibers collapse and fibrillate or branch out due to compressive and shear forces. This provides more flexibility and surface area for bonding, which can strengthen the sheet. However, this is a balancing act as too much refining can have negative impacts on the pulp and paper production. Monitoring the distribution of fibers and fiber flocculation with a blue glass (as seen in the photo) is a useful visual aid during refining and stock preparation.
My task during this run was to manage stock refining. For this, I ran the Bertram Beater, recorded the loading and time of refining, and measured energy and speed data. One method for observing this was with balls of pulp, as seen in my hands. The time it took a pulp ball to move linearly in the Beater as well as through the bends of the Beater was recorded to determine the difference with different applied loads compared to no load. I also helped train my peer for their Bertram Beater Duties in their grade runs.
Additionally, I assisted with testing the paper off the reel for optical properties and color for live-adjustments by the Wet End Team. An example of a sample and my measurements of the L*a*b* values (lightness, red/green, and blue/yellow) can be seen here.
Paper Grade #3: Glassine Grade
This was a unique grade made for an in-house client at the Department of Chemical Engineering (previously the Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering). The end-use idea for this product was to have an insert that was semi-translucent for high-end greeting cards. This paper needed to have low opacity and acceptable smoothness, as well as drainage and strength properties that allowed the grade to run on the paper machines.
The furnish for this grade was half hardwood and half softwood fibers. It was refined to a higher degree than the previously listed grades. A Drainage Aid was also employed for this grade. After making this low weight sheet, it was super calendered to lower the thickness and opacity of the paper.
Here, you can see a sheet of the glassine overlaid on a "be green, choose paper" sticker to display its transparent properties.
Scaling the Paper Grade Research
In this course and with the knowledge of our previous papermaking courses, we created each grade of paper above from the laboratory scale to the pilot scale. All research and testing of furnishes for target properties occurred first with handsheets made following a revised version of TAPPI T-205. A Kodak Sheet Former was also utilized as an intermediary step in the scale-up process prior to making paper on PM #2 and PM #1.
PM #2 is a "small-scale" paper machine that is the final step between the laboratory development and the pilot stage. This exercise provides practice for preparing stock and additives for the paper machine, running the various components of the paper machine (wet end, press section, dry end, reel), and shows how paper made on the machine and its different settings can impact the final paper product (such as the impact of machine direction, drainage, dryer can heat, and calendering). After the small-scale paper machine (PM #2), adjustments are made to the furnish and operating conditions and stock is prepared for the pilot scale or large-scale paper machine (PM #1).
PM #2 Small Paper Machine
PM #2 Small Paper Machine
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This machine produces a 48" wide sheet and is the culmination of all work done in the course. This provides students with a realistic papermaking experience in which decisions must be made in real time to adjust for breaks and paper quality issues, and snapshots are taken to better understand the moisture profile of the paper. The final product is tested to determine how close it is to the desired specifications and cut to be delivered to the client.
PM #1 Pilot Paper Machine
PM #1 Pilot Paper Machine
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Lessons Learned from This Experience
This was a very interesting course that really helped us see how our other papermaking courses related to the practice of papermaking. Some of the most important lessons that I learned (other than about paper!) involved communication, teamwork, and delegation.
There were over fourteen students working on the paper grades, which was one of the largest groups to have ever participated in this course at once. This was a combination of juniors and seniors of various knowledge and skill levels. One of the difficulties of this course was getting involved with the process and working on the machine. With so many people, specific tasks were delegated by the project heads and there was a limited opportunity to be exposed to all aspects of the machine and process. I felt as though I would have learned more and been involved in more hands-on activities if there were fewer people in the course at the time.
Communicating between all members of the course was also a challenge, as some students were in your paper grade group and some were not. More communication between members through each phase of the scaling up process could have been beneficial to prevent repeated mistakes and struggles. Communication was also important when performing a live run on the machine as issues such as breaks and off-spec paper needed to be communicated immediately and effectively to quickly course correct.
Teamwork was vital in this type of project, especially during the lab-scale and paper testing phases. A multitude of handsheets, samples, and tests need to be performed, and this data needs to be easily understandable and accessible to all members of the group. Differences in data and general communication styles can make this task difficult. Establishing a communal spreadsheet at the beginning of the project - even if members simply had a copy of it, filled in their data, and pasted it in the same format to a single spreadsheet - would have been a beneficial approach to managing and communicating data in this project.
Additionally, it is important to understand how to delegate tasks. Delegation in general can be difficult for those who feel more comfortable being in control. Further, delegating cannot be random: it needs to play to the strengths of those in your group. In reflection, I feel the tasks could have been better delegated and rotated among members of the group to ensure all had exposure to the machine and process while playing to the strengths of our teammates.
Participating in this course with my student peers has emphasized the importance of these facets - communication, teamwork, and delegation - and will follow me in my future endeavors.
Relevant Course Work
Mathematics and Computer Computations | Paper Science and Engineering | Management and Writing | Chemical, Biological, Physical, and Environmental Sciences | Economics | Basic and Advanced Engineering |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Calculus I, II, III | Art and History of Papermaking | Management in the Paper Industry | General Chemistry I, II | Introduction to Economics | General Physics I, II |
Computing Methods for Engineers | Introduction to Papermaking | Writing for Science Professionals | General Chemistry Lab I, II | Engineer Design Economics | General Physics Lab I, II |
Differential Equations | Pulp and Paper Laboratory Skills | Organic Chemistry I, II | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | Principles of Mass and Energy Balance | |
Probability and Statistics for Engineers | Papermaking Wet End Chemistry | Organic Chemistry Lab I, II | Principles of Accounting | Engineering Thermodynamics | |
Fiber and Paper Properties | Water Resource Management | Water Pollution Engineering | |||
Fiber Processing | Methods in Ecological Treatment Analysis | Professional Engineering Skills Seminars | |||
Papermaking Processes | Applied Environmental Microbiology | Air Pollution Engineering | |||
Physical Chemistry I | Fluid Mechanics | ||||
Equipment Troubleshooting and Maintenance | |||||
Transport Phenomena | |||||
Introduction to Environmental Engineering | |||||
Statics and Dynamics | |||||
Process and Plant Design | |||||
Engineering Decision Analysis | |||||