Process for the manufacture of hydrophobic paper or hydrophobic board, and a sizing composition

A process for the manufacture of hydrophobic paper or board by using rosin sizing, which comprises combining an organic complexing agent together with a rosin size, wherein the organic complexing agent is selected from the group consisting of aminopolycarboxylic acids of formula I:

• wherein A is —CH2COOH, B is —CH2COOH or —CH2CH2COOH, X is 0 to about 6, Y is 0 to about 6, wherein at least one of X and Y is at least 1, a is 2 to about 10, and b is 2 to about 10;
• n-bis or tris[1,2-dicarboxylethoxy)ethyl]amines of formula II:
• wherein R is hydrogen, an alkyl group having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms and 1 to about 10 carboxylic acid groups, an alkyl group having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms and 1 to about 10 carboxylic acid ether groups, a (poly)ethoxylated hydrocarbon group having from 1 to about 20 ethoxyl groups, a carboxylic acid amide group having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms and an NR bond that is an amide bond, or a group having the formula:
• and phosphonic acids of formula III
• wherein R1 is hydrogen, —(CH2)n—CH3, —NH2, —CH2OH, —(CH2)n—COOH, —(CH2)n—PO3H2, or a group of formula
• wherein n is 0 to about 6.
• R2 is hydrogen, —OH, —PO3H2, —(CH2)m—COOH, or a group of formula
• wherein m is 0 to about 6;
• and
• R3 is hydrogen, —OH, —NH2, —(CH2)o—CH3,
• —(CH2)o—COOH, —NH—(CH2)o—PO3H2,
• —NH—CH2—COOH, or —N(CH2COOH)2, wherein o is 0 to about 6.