Paper manufacturing using agglomerated hollow particle latex
View Patent ↗Agglomerated hollow particle latex is employed as a filler in the wet end of the paper-making process to provide paper with improved properties.
1. A process for making a paper material, the process comprising:
(1) providing a latex including agglomerated hollow particles;
(2) forming an aqueous slurry by introducing water, pulp, and the latex including agglomerated hollow particles, where the slurry includes a filler component that includes at least 10% by weight of the agglomerated hollow particles;
(3) forming a wet sheet from the slurry; and
(4) drying the sheet to form the paper material, wherein the paper material is brighter than a paper with a filler of precipitated calcium carbonate when measured at the same filler loading, where the agglomerated hollow particle latex is modified with the addition of a stabilizing agent, wherein the stabilizing agent is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethylcellulose, and starch.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the agglomerated hollow particles have an average particle size of from about 3 to about 100 microns.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein the agglomerated hollow particles have a cationic surface charge.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein the agglomerated hollow particles have an anionic surface charge.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein the agglomerated hollow particles have a neutral surface charge.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein an additional filler is employed, and the agglomerated hollow particles comprise at least 10 weight percent of the total filler employed.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein the agglomerated hollow particles are prepared from hollow latex particles with an interior void in the range of 10-70 percent of the volume of the latex particle.
8. The process of claim 1 wherein the agglomerated hollow particles have a total void volume in the range of 30-90 percent.
9. The process of claim 1 , where the stabilizing agent is a water-soluble polymer.
10. The process of claim 1 , where the latex includes up to 40% by weight, based on the weight of dry solids in the latex of the stabilizing agent.