Identification and reduction of stickies and stickie related contaminants in ONP/OMG recycled newsprint

High gloss magazine coatings were identified as a major source of stickies leading to runnability problems in both newsprint mill and pressroom. Calender stack ''scabs'', another common contaminant, were found to have a similar chemical composition to stickies. Scabs and stickies were treated successfully with flotation and reverse cleaning in combination with a polymer/surfactant chemistry. Trial data showed a 34 percent reduction in stickie counts across notation. Using this chemistry over a one year period, stickie counts at a recycled newsprint mill decreased by a relative difference of 64 percent. Scab outbreaks also decreased by 75 percent during the same time period.