Control of pulp-paper mill pitch deposits

A process for inhibiting the deposition of adhesive pitch particles onto the surface of pulp-making equipment, prior to beating, from the water with which a cellulose fiber suspension having a content of said particles is being washed, which comprises, washing said suspension in a pulp washer containing an aqueous solution of an anionic polymer containing at least about 25 mol percent, but not more than about 85 mol percent, of hydrophobic-oleophilic linkages selected from the group comprising styrene, isobutylene, methylstyrene, allyl stearate, octadecyl acrylate, octadecene, dodecene, n-octadecylacrylamide, vinyl stearate and vinyl dodecyl ether and at least about 15 mol percent, but not more than about 75 mol percent, of hydrophilic acid linkages selected from the group comprising acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid, acrylamidoacetic acid, maleamic acid and styrenesulfonic acid, forming a pitch-polymer complex of said particles and said polymer, and removing said complex with the water used to wash said cellulose fiber suspension thereby separating substantially all of the pitch-polymer complex from said cellulose fiber suspension, wherein the amount of said polymer being used is in the range of about 0.5 to 100 parts by weight per million parts by weight of said suspension.