Development of Novel ASA Sizing Agents

-Internal ASA Sizing as an Alternative to Rosin Sizing-

Abstract

In Japan, rosin sizes are most widely used as internal sizing agents. Even under the neutral papermaking conditions, rosin sizes have been also used due to the unique development of neutral rosin sizes in Japan. However, some of papermakers in Japan have requested the alternative sizing agents to rosin, because of rapid increase in its price since the end of 2009. Thus, we have adopted alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) as one of the alternatives and developed novel ASA sizing agents based on research and development of emulsifiers (polymer surfactants), emulsification methods, and application procedures. The novel ASA sizes have potentialities to bring fundamental solutions to the most serious problem inherent in ASA sizes such as formation of deposits in papermaking.