A close-up of water in board machine.
Improve operation performance and profitability

Retention and drainage chemicals

Optimized retention and drainage is the key to cost-efficient papermaking. Kemira offers in-depth application expertise and best-in-class retention and drainage chemicals to enable our customers to take full control of their wet end. Our product portfolio includes backward integrated organic and inorganic polymers, micropolymers, and quick inversion polymers, world-leading silica sol, and high-quality microparticle bentonite. The complete portfolio enables us to improve retention and drainage performance for all paper grades, as well as for molded fiber products, increasing operation performance and profitability.

Kemira KemForm wet end concepts combine our broad portfolio of high-performing products, unique expertise in applying retention and drainage chemicals, advanced chemical injection technologies, and KemConnect™ solutions for real-time process monitoring and runnability control.

We can provide optimized chemical system that meet the demands of various different grades from fine paper to board and recycled fiber processes. KemForm concepts can drive total retention and cost efficiency, drainage and drainage control or improved formation with higher sheet ash levels.

Benefits of optimized retention and drainage

Paper properties Reduced costs Production benefits
Reduced sheet weight Lower energy and furnish costs Increased production and dewatering
Increased sheet strength and filler content Fiber substitution Reduced breaks
Improved formation and bulk Improved chemical efficiency Improved runnability

FennoPol products are polyacrylamide based flocculents and an integral part of our retention and drainage systems, allowing decoupled dewatering and retention control at the machine. Kemira is backward-integrated in its polyacrylamide production and can therefore offer a large variety of polymer products.

  • cationic or anionic charge
  • high range of molecular weights
  • as emulsion polymer, dry polymer or dispersion polymer
  • optimal interaction with starch and polymer containing systems.

Kemira provides world-leading silica sol technology and high-quality bentonite products for retention and drainage applications.

FennoSil colloidal silica sols are patented technology used for improving retention and dewatering in the wet end. FennoSil products are unique due to the combination of solids, structure, and surface area, and can be combined with starch or polymer containing system. Our silica sols are pump-and-go products for easy application.

  • improve fiber and fines retention
  • improve colloidal retention
  • improve starch retention
  • improve dewatering (drainage, pressing, and drying)
  • improve formation
  • improve runnability
  • reduce downtime and off-quality production

FennoLite microparticle bentonites are typically used in retention application in combination with a water-soluble polymer, either with an anionic or cationic charge. Kemira offers different bentonite grades to meet the required quality of application, availability, and cost.

Microparticle bentonites give robust retention control and tolerate high filler and fine filler types. They are very stable products with reliable application.

FennoSil micropolymers are high charge polyacrylamide emulsions that allow for sheet consolidation in an effective way and improve retention, drainage, and deposit control.

FennoSil products can increase the general productivity especially in coated and uncoated fine paper, folding box board, white top liner, kraft liner, and core board and in recycled grades production. There are also environmentally friendly options where the micropolymer technology is mineral oil free.

  • increase total, first pass, and filler retention
  • increase colloidal and stickies retention
  • improve sizing efficiency
  • increase drainage and press dewatering
  • maintain formation

The new FennoPol quick inversion polymers are high charge cationic polyacrylamide emulsions that can be used in retention and drainage applications and as fixatives. Quick inversion polymers are based on pump-and-go technology, which eases product handling and eliminates the need for traditional emulsion polymer make down unit and tank at the mill site. They help reduce the overall process and functional chemicals cost.

  • improve retention and drainage
  • improve the performance of functional chemicals (e.g. sizing agents)
  • improve fixation performance (e.g. for coated broke and sticky control)

Fixatives have a crucial role in any effective retention system. Kemira FennoFix™ fixatives are used in combination with the various retention and drainage chemicals and in the KemForm retention concepts to achieve maximum efficiency.

These pump-and-go products boost the performance of retention polymers and can be used to control stickies, pitch, and charge in the wet end process.

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