POLYETHYLENE OXIDE TREATMENT FOR DRAINAGE AGENTS AND DRY STRENGTH AGENTS

1 . A method of treating a cellulosic slurry to improve drainage comprising adding a PEO to a cellulosic furnish in an amount of from 0.1 lbs to 10 lbs per ton and adding a synthetic polymer to the furnish in an amount of from 0.1 to 10 lbs per ton, allowing the furnish to drain and forming a paper product.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PEO is selected from the group consisting of homo polymers of ethylene oxide, copolymers of ethylene oxide with propylene oxide, and copolymers of ethylene oxide with butylene oxide.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic polymer is an anionic polymer.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the synthetic polymer is an anionic polyacrylamide.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic polymer is a cationic polyacrylamide.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the synthetic polymer is a homopolymer or copolymer comprising polyvinylamine or polyvinylformamide.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the PEO has a molecular weight of between 100,000 to 15,000,000 daltons.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic polymer has a molecular weight of 1,000,000 to 25,000,000 daltons.

9 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the anionic polymer is made using at least one anionic monomer selected form the group consisting of the free acids and salts of acrylic acid; methacrylic acid; maleic acid; itaconic acid; acrylamidoglycolic acid; 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid; 3-allyloxy-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonic acid; styrenesulfonic acid; vinylsulfonic acid; vinylphosphonic acid; 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane phosphonic acid; and mixtures of any of the foregoing. Most common are the free acids or salts of acrylic acid; methacrylic acid, and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid.

10 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the cationic polymer is made using at least one cationic monomer selected from the group consisting of diallyldialkylammonium halides, such as diallyldimethylammonium chloride; the (meth)acrylates of dialkylaminoalkyl compounds, such as dimethylaminoethyl (meth)acrylate, diethylaminoethyl (meth)acrylate, dimethyl aminopropyl (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxydimethyl aminopropyl (meth)acrylate, aminoethyl (meth)acrylate, and the salts and quaternaries thereof; the N,N-dialkylaminoalkyl(meth)acrylamides, such as N,N-dimethylaminoethylacrylamide, and the salt and quaternaries thereof and mixtures of the foregoing.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the PEO to synthetic water-soluble polymer is in the range of from about 100:1 to about 1:100.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the ratio of the PEO to synthetic water-soluble polymer is between about 80:20 to about 20:80.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the ratio of the PEO to synthetic water-soluble polymer is between about 50:50 to about 10:90.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of synthetic polymer added to the furnish is from about 0.05 lbs to about 5 lbs of synthetic polymer per ton of furnish solids.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the amount of synthetic polymer added to the furnish is from 0.1 lbs to 2 lbs of synthetic polymer per ton of furnish solids.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic furnish has a soluble lignin level of from 25 ppm up to 500 ppm.

17 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the synthetic polymer is an anionic polymer.

18 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the synthetic polymer is a cationic polyacrylamide.

19 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the amount of synthetic polymer added to the furnish is from about 0.05 lbs to about 5 lbs of synthetic polymer per ton of furnish solids.

20 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the cellulosic furnish has a soluble lignin level of from 25 ppm up to 500 ppm.