Science in the Pulp & Paper Mill ... A Personal Perspective

This book is a pleasant read about a life immersed in the science and technology of pulp and papermaking. It will help technical people in mills to better understand how science can be used to best achieve the process improvements that will increase mill profitability and advance their own careers. It tells stories of the author’s scientific and technical development work over a professional lifetime as a consultant, development specialist, inventor and entrepreneur.
A complete review of Dr. Cowan’s work developing the theory and practice of zero and short span tensile testing is presented here for the first time. The outcome of this work, the Pulmac fiber quality measurement system, makes possible the rapid characterization of fiber properties (strength, length and bonding potential) at any point throughout the pulp and papermill. Such measurements make feasible process optimization from the digester through the bleach plant, across the refiners, and over the papermachine.
The book further details Dr. Cowan’s extensive work dealing with pulp screening and papermachine drainage. It also provides a rich anecdotal discussion of how his and other specific contributions to scientific knowledge can be used to tackle technical problems throughout the pulp and papermil and into the converting plants of customers.
Although not in any way a textbook, the reader will discover a rich source of practical ideas and commentary that they are most unlikely to find elsewhere.