Native, unmodified Starches
99% of the corrugated board produced Worldwide is produced with starch adhesives. Most common are maize (corn), wheat, tapioca, rice, or potato. All formulations are based on the same principle; a primary pre-cooked part of starch carrying a secondary part of starch. The primary part determines the final viscosity, gelling temperature and suspension. In contrast with the secondary part, the pre-cooked part of 10% - 15% has no “bonding” characteristics.
Over the years, industrial starch suppliers developed modified starches to improve bonding, water retention, viscosity stability, etc. Furthermore, starch suppliers are managing the adhesive’s formulations, often making them quite complicated and most of all expensive.
Corrugated board plants can’t handle those formulations independently and are chained by their starch suppliers.
Carrier Gel enables the use of native - unmodified starches. The amount of Carrier Gel is determing the suspension, thickening and rheological behavior of the adhesive. Starch modifications to increase water retention are no longer needed. Carrier Gel increase the water retention of the adhesive.
When dosing Carrier Gel we recommend to use cheap unmodified starch.
Lower Gel Point
With Carrier Gel formulations, all the caustic is mixed with all the water and starch. This enables to higher the amount of caustics resulting in much lower gelling temperatures.
It doesn't affect the viscosity of the batch because there is no pre-cooked part and viscosity is determined by the Carrier Gel.
A lower gelling point enables faster production speeds or lower heat settings.
Very Fast Batch Preparations
No Primary pre-cooked starch results in very fast batch preparations.
Formulations are very simple: All the water is mixed with the caustic,
then with all the starch, the borate or replacement
and at the end the Carrier gel is dosed.
The overall preparation time is reduced with 1/3 of normal time.
Some Benefits:
Increase the glue-kitchen capacity with 30%
Less maintenance of the equipment
Less energy consumption
