University of Tasmania, Australia

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Karen Stack

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Dr Karen Stack

Lecturer & Research Fellow

BSc Hons (Sydney), PhD(Tas)

Karen Stack

Contact Details

Contact Campus Sandy Bay Campus
Building Chemistry Building
Room Reference 325
Telephone +61 3 6226 2169
Fax +61 3 6226 2858
Email Karen.Stack@utas.edu.au

Teaching Responsibilities

Units

Publications

  • Peroxide bleaching using zeolites Pt2: Bleaching of pine TMP and eucalypt CCS D. Finnegin, K. Stack and L. Dunn 1998 * APPITA J. 51(5) 381-386
  • Factors affecting the deposition of wood resin K. Stack, E. Stevens, D. Richardson, T. Parsons and S. Jenkins. 2000 * 54th APPITA Annual Conference Proceedings, Melbourne April3-6 567-570
  • Use of wetting agents to improve flotation with magnesium oxide K. Stack, M. Clow, M. Kirk and S. Maughan 2001 * APPITA J 54(5) 465-468
  • Flotation deinking with magnesium oxide as the alkali source K. Stack, A. Featherstone, S. Baptist and M. Kirk 2002 * APPITA J 1(8) 16-20
  • An innovative approach characterising the interactions leading to pitch deposition. D.Vercoe, K.Stack , A.Blackman, B Yates and D.Richardson 2004 * Journal of Wood Chemistry and Technology 24(2) 115
  • The colloidal pKa of lipophilic extractives commonly found in pinus radiate. McLean D, Vercoe D, Stack K and Richardson D 2005 * Appita J 58 (5) 362-366
  • Ink detachment and redeposition in alkali flotation deinking systems. Stack K, Tria J and Richardson D 2005 * Appita J. 58(4) 297-301
  • A multi component insight into the interactions leading to wood pitch deposition Vercoe, D, Stack K, Blackman A, Richardson D 2005 * Appita Journal 58(3) 208-213
  • The effect of wood extractives composition, pH and temperature on pitch deposition. McLean D, Stack K, Richardson D 2005 * Appita Journal 58(1) 52-56

Full Publication List

Achievements

Dr Stack has a PhD from the University of Tasmania (1992) and a BSc (Hons) from the University of Sydney (1980). In 1995 she was appointed associate lecturer at the University of Tasmania and in 2003 became a Research Fellow. She has 8 years industrial experience in the pulp and paper industry. 

Karen Stack was employed from 1981-1984 as a project chemist at Australian Newsprint Mills (ANM) in Tasmania. In 1984 she became Assistant Technical Services Superintendent. In June 1987, she left ANM and taught Maths at Fahan School. She undertook a PhD from 1988 to 1992. From 1992-1995 she worked as a research assistant in the Pulp and Paper Research group at UTas. In 1995 she was appointed as a part time lecturer, supervising students in the Pulp and Paper Group and lecturing in Surface Chemistry.

Research Interests

Dr Stack is part of the Pulp and Paper Research Group. Her research interests are in the general field of Colloid and Surface chemistry in particular aspects relating to the manufacture of paper. She has undertaken investigations into the mechanisms by which retention aids improve fiber and filler retention. She has been involved with several projects investigating flotation deinking of newsprint and magazine grade paper. More recently work has focused on the use of magnesium oxide as the alkali source to replace sodium hydroxide in deinking. Current projects involve studying pitch deposition. Techniques of capillary electrophoresis and computer molecular modeling are being employed to investigate the interactions at a molecular level.

Research Areas:

Current and Supervised Project/s:

  • Study of molecular interactions between wood pitch fixatives and components of wood pitch
  • Studies of improvements to flotation deinking at Norske Skog Albury Paper Mill