Paper mills   [Download this application case as PDF file]

A huge amount of water is employed for paper production, and bacterial growth on surfaces in contact with the liquid (biofilm) can be a major problem, since this microbiological layer can deteriorate the quality of the paper and even damage machinery.

In this paper mill, the ALVIM Sensor was installed in a whitewater channel, far downstream of biocide application point, in order to check if the treatment was effective on the whole length of the line. Biocide treatment was applied automatically at fixed times, every 4 hours, based on staff's experience.

During the first days of use, the ALVIM Biofilm Monitoring System indicated that the biocide was correctly reaching the point where the ALVIM sensor was installed (see graph below), and that the chosen frequency of injection was appropriate, in order to avoid biofilm growth.

After a couple weeks, the ALVIM system indicated that biofilm growth was taking place (see graph below) and, therefore, the need of a stronger or more frequent sanitation treatment.

The ALVIM technology was, therefore, able to provide a useful indication both for monitoring the distribution of biocides inside the water line of the plant and for giving an early warning signal of biofilm-related risk.

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Published on The Journal of Science and Technology for Forest Products and Processes Vol. 6 No. 4 (2017)