Comment Moisture’s major impact on pulp
and paper Monitoring moisture is critical for success in the pulp and paper industry. Near-Infrared Moisture meters provide a way to quickly and reliably determine moisture levels.
fi nished paper products, moisture content must be carefully monitored and managed at every stage of production.
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Variations in moisture levels have the potential to negatively impact the effi ciency of the drying process, increase processing time and disrupt commercial transactions based on product weights. Excessive moisture can result in increased product weight that increase shipping costs, whereas insuffi cient moisture may cause the product to fail to perform as intended. Comprehensive testing can provide pulp and paper manufacturers with an understanding of both the chemical composition and moisture content of raw materials and fi nished products. To address moisture level consistency, accurate moisture measurement devices are now available in portable, point-and-measure models as well as fully integrated in-line analysers. The selection of the most suitable device depends upon the specifi c application, process requirements and the conditions. One consistent trend across the industry is the advancement in more user-friendly design. New modern moisture meters are highly intuitive, enabling untrained personnel to operate them. They measure moisture rapidly, often within seconds, allowing reduced test time and supporting faster, more responsive process control.
MOISTURE MEASUREMENT DEVICES For ulp and paper applications, many processors rely on Near-Infrared (NIR) moisture meters to obtain rapid and reliable moisture readings during production and quality control. “NIR moisture meters follow the principle that water absorbs certain wavelengths of light,” says John Bogart, managing director of Kett USA, a manufacturer of a full range of moisture and organic composition analysers. “The meter refl ects light off the sample, measures how much light has been absorbed and the result is automatically converted into a moisture content reading.”
he moisture content aff ects each phase of the production of pulp and paper products, from incoming raw materials such as wood chips and pulp to
One example is the KJT130 Near Infrared Moisture Meter, which provides instant, non-contact moisture readings in a portable handheld format. Because the process is non- destructive, samples remain unaltered so they can be used for additional tests or put back into the product stream.
The user simply points the instrument at the product, and the moisture content is instantly shown on a digital display, with results accurate to 0.01 per cent in a 0-100 per cent measurement range. The instrument can be used to measure moisture levels in materials such as wood chips, wood fi ber, pulp, paper and fi nished paper products.
For continuous monitoring, instruments such as the KB30 In-Line NIR Moisture Meter and the
KJT700 Online MIR Composition Meter allow operators to monitor moisture and organic composition while materials move through production processes.
These systems can measure parameters such as moisture content, BTU values and certain organic additives while materials travel on conveyors, pass through drop chutes, or move through pneumatic transport systems. “Using Near Infrared (NIR) composition analysers can provide almost instant, lab quality test results that make a signifi cant diff erence during development and production,” says Bogart.
Paper manufacturers can also monitor moisture levels using instruments such as the HK300 Instant Paper Moisture Meter. Designed specifi cally for measuring moisture in paper, kraft board and paperboard, the instrument provides instant readings without sample preparation. Factory calibrations are available for common paper products, and additional calibrations can be developed for specialised applications. The HK300 can measure moisture levels in paper rolls, stacked sheets, linerboard, low moisture copy paper and kraft paper. With multiple probes available, the device can also perform single-sheet measurements and compression testing.
For wood applications, non-destructive moisture testing instruments such as the HM530 Wood Moisture Tester are recommended. This instrument uses high-frequency capacitance to measure the dielectric constant of the material and convert the reading into a moisture value. The system automatically compensates for variations in wood thickness and temperature. The HM530 can be used with a range of wood materials including plywood, particle board, fi berboard, hardwood, softwood, kiln-dried lumber and specialty wood products. By simplifying the process, pulp and paper producers and converters can increase the quality of their products from raw input to processing to fi nished product distribution. “The key is to cost-eff ectively conduct as much testing as required, with full confi dence in the results, each and every time,” concludes Bogart.
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July/August 2026
www.convertermag.com
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