Principles of minimum cost refining for optimum linerboard strength

초록

The mechanical properties of paper at a single basis weight and a single targeted refining freeness level have traditionally been used to compare papers. Understanding the economics of corrugated fiberboard requires a more global characterization of the variation of mechanical properties and refining energy consumption with freeness. The cost of refining energy to increase paper performance is of the same magnitude as the cost of adding fiber to obtain an equal increase in performance; the costs of energy and fiber vary dramatically with geography and market conditions. We provide formulas that can be programmed into a spreadsheet to graphically examine market condition and performance scenarios. We characterize a recycled linerboard and determine the market conditions that favor increased refining compared to increased fiber.

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