While there are about 3000 or so different types of chemicals which "can be used" in papermaking, in practice only about 200 individual chemicals are typically used, each satisfying a specific need.

Common Name

Chemical Name

Chemical Formula

Used For

Agalite or Talc

Silicate of Magnesia

MgO-32%, SiO₂-42%

It gives paper a greasy or soapy feel. and enables it to take a high finish.

AKD

Alkyl Ketene Dimer

C₄H₄O₂

Sizing

Alabaster or Annaline

Anhydrate Calcium Sulfate

CaSO₄

Paper Loading material

Alganic Acid

Alganic acid or Na-Alginate

Na-(C₆H₈O₆)n

Coating and surface treatment

Alum

Sulfate of Alumina

Al₂(SO4)₃.18H₂O

For alkaline sizing along with Rosin

Albarine

Natural Sulfate of Lime

CaSO₄.2H₂O - 100%

A calcium salt that is used for a variety of purposes including: building materials.

Animal Glue

Pigment coating Binder

Barium Carbonate

BaCO₃

Coating Pigment

Blanc fixe, fast white, pearl white or permanent white

Barium Sulfate

BaSO₄

Filler, Coating Pigment

Casein

Pigment coating Binder. Casein is a heterogeneous globular, amphoteric phosphoprotein

Chlorine Dioxide

ClO₂

In Pulp Bleaching

Chlorine Gas

Chlorine

Cl₂

In Pulp Bleaching and water treatment

Clay or Kaolin

Kaolinite

Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄

As filler

Dolomite

Calcium Magnesium Carbonate

CaMg(CO₃)₂

Filler, Coating

DTPA

Diethylene Triamine Penta Acetate

C₁₄H₃₃N₃O₁₀

Used for chelation (removal of transition metals from pulp).

EDTA

Ethylene Diamine Tetra acetic Acid

C₁₀H₁₆N₂O₈

Used for chelation (removal of transition metals from pulp).

Enzyme

Used in Deinking

FSA

Formamidine Sulphuric Acid or Thiourea Dioxide

CH₄N₂SO₂

Post Deinking bleaching

Guar Gum

Natural Polymer

Dry Strength Additive

Gypsum or Mineral White or Plaster

Natural Sulfate of Lime

CaSO₄.2H₂O

Gypsum board

Hydrogen Peroxide

H₂O₂

In Pulp Bleaching

Hypochlorous Acid

HOCl

In Pulp Bleaching

Lime

Calcium Oxide

CaO

Alkaline Pulping Process Chemical Recovery, Bleaching

Lime Stone

Calcium Carbonate

CaCO₃

To make Precipitated CaCO₃, is used as Filler and in Coating

Magnesium Bisulfite

Mg(HSO₃)₂

Used in Sulfite pulping

Magnesite

Magnesium Carbonate

MgCO3 -100%

Filler for cigarette paper

Milk of Lime

Calcium Hydroxide

Ca(OH)₂

For causticizing of green liquor

Milk of Magnesia

Magnesium Hydroxide

Mg(OH)₂

Oxygen

O₂

In Pulp Bleaching

Ozone

O₃

In Pulp Bleaching

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)

Polyvinyl Alcoho

[CH₂CH(OH]_n

Pigment coating Binder

Rosin

Abietic Acid

C₁₉H₂₉COOH

Sizing

Rosin Soap

Sodium Abietate

C₁₉H₂₉COONa

Sizing

Salt Cake

Sodium Sulfate

Na₂SO₄10H₂O

Makeup chemical in sulfate pulping chemical recovery (Na₂SO_4. ---Na₂S)

Satin

3CaO.Al₂O₃.3CaSO₄.31H₂O

Brightly white pigment

Soap/ Fatty Acid

Deinking

Sodium Bisulfite

NaHSO₃

Used in Sulfite pulping

Soda Ash

Sodium Carbonate

NaHSO₃

Makeup chemical in alkaline pulping chemical recovery (Na₂CO₃+Ca(OH)₂ ---2NaOH+CaCO₃)

Sodium Aluminate

Na₂Al₂O₄

Used in conjunction with alum to control pH

Sodium Bisulfite

NaHSO₃

An acid type cooking liquor chemical component sometimes used to neutralized residual chlorine in the pulp during the bleaching process.

Sodium Chlorate

NaClO₃

Used to generate Chlorine Dioxide

Sodium Dithionite

Sodium Hydrosulfite

Na₂S₂O₄

Bleaching

Sodium Hypo-chlorite

Na₂S₂O₄

Bleaching

Sodium Peroxide

Na₂O₂

Bleaching

Sodium Silicate

Na₂SiO₃

In waste paper deinking for wetting, peptization, ink dispersion, peroxide stabilization.

Sodium Sulfide

Na₂S

Active chemical in kraft/sulfate cooking liquor

Sodium Thiosulfate

Na₂S₂O₃

Bleaching

Sodium tripolyphosphate

Na₅P₃O₁₀

Dispersant

Starch

Comprised of glucose units linked together by oxygen bridges called glycosides

Wet and dry end additive

Sulfur

To make HSO₃for bi-sulfite pulping

Surfactant

Used in deinking, Used as debonders in fluff pulp manufacture.

Titania

Titanium Dioxide

TiO₂

Filler to increase the opacity and brightness of paper. Used in coating also.

Anatase

Titanium Dioxide

TiO₂

Grade of titanium oxide paper coating pigments which is water dispersible.

Zinc Hydrosulfite

ZnS₂O₄

Bleaching Chemical

Zinc Sulfide

ZnS

Pigment

Zinc White

Zinc Oxide

ZnO

Pigment

Various surface sizing agent are

Modified starches,
Styrene Maleic Anhydride (SMA),
Styrene Acrylic Emulsion (SAE),
Styrene Acrylic Acid (SAA),
Ethylene Acrylic Acid (EAA),
Gelatin and
Polyurethane (PUR).

In 2010 world paper industry used 31.7 Million Ton pigments for filling and coating. It is about 8% of paper on weight basis. Following is a breakup of various pigment usage.

Pigment

Coating

Filling

Others

Total

Million Ton

Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCC)

10.4

4.6

1.5

16.5

Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC)

0.6

5.8

0.3

6.7

Clay

4.9

1.7

0.1

6.7

Talc

0.2

1.4

0.0

1.6

Others

0.2

0.1

0.0

0.3

Total

16.3

13.6

1.9

31.8

For further reading: Mini Encyclopaedia of Papermaking Wet-end Chemistry

Market Study: Titanium Dioxide (2nd Edition) by Ceresana

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