Fluff pulp is the common name for wood pulps used in the absorbent core of personal care products such as diapers, feminine absorbent pads, air-laid absorbent towelling, etc. Six critical properties of fluff pulp are:

Defiberization Energy – how much work does it take to breakdown the pulp sheets into a usable fluff pulp form
Absorbency Rate – how fast can the fluff pulp fibers absorb the fluidAbsorbent Capacity – how much fluid the fluff pulp fibers can hold
Bulking Capability – will the pulp form a bulky or dense mat
Moisture Content – too low of moisture increases static electricity
Static Electricity – detrimental during the hammermill process

In some cases the pulps are too strong.  This can be related to the wood source or the type of machine used to manufacture the sheet.  Pulps that are too strong will take an excessive amount of energy to turn the pulp into fluff.  This can result in an excess amount of large fiber bundles or chunks of pulp sheets (knots), which are undesirable.

Debonders are added to reduce the strength of the pulp sheet so when defiberized through a hammermill the amount of uniform free fibers is maximized.  All debonders have a detrimental impact on absorbency.

Mode of Action

ProSoft® Debonder Technologies are designed to reduce mullen strength, increase bulk, improve flexibility and reduce water absorbency.  This is accomplished by separation of the fiber to fiber bonding sites by adsorption of cationically charged hydrophobic compounds attached to the fiber surface.

The desired finished properties of the sheet will determine which type of debonder to use. Some debonders will maximize bulk while others have less of an impact on absorbent properties.  Please contact your local Hercules Sales Representative to discuss which ProSoft® Debonder product will best satisfy your needs.

Method of Application

Fluff pulp Debonders are added internally to thick stock with random dilution water.  Dosage level is dependent upon the desired degree of mullen (strength) reduction.

Recorded Benefits

The following benefits have been recorded from practical applications of ProSoft® Debonder Technology.  Not all benefits are realized for all applications.

Reduced defiberization energy
Improved fluff pulp uniformity
Minimal impact on absorbency rate
Bulk enhancement