PULP-PAPERWORLD www.pulp-paperworld.com January 2011
ABB opens New Facility in Shanghai China. BTG
- Solve print mottle
Mondi @ Paperworld 2011 IMERYS Pigments for PaperMULTILAYER COATING CONCEPTS:IS IT TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH? Professional Tools and Equipment for Paper Machine Clothing
visit www.feltest.com now T : +31 313 652 215 - F: +31 313 654 068 - E: info@feltest.com
ABB to deliver automation and electrical systems for paper mill in Philippines Complete automation and electrification package will optimize productivity and energy efficiency for Schweitzer – Mauduit’s new paper machine
ABB announced that it recently won an order from Schweitzer – Mauduit International Inc., to provide automation and electrification systems for its greenfield specialty paper mill in Batangas, in the Philippines. Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. is a diversified producer of premium specialty papers to the tobacco sector; it also manufactures specialty papers for other applications. The Batangas mill will produce Reconstituted Tobacco Leaf (RTL), a specialty product that helps cigarette manufacturers to recycle their by-products while also providing a tool that facilitates them to meet regulatory requirements. The new paper machine to be installed will have a capacity of 30,000 tons per year and is scheduled to be operational by November 2011. ABB was awarded the contract for its knowledge, expertise and experience in the Pulp and Paper Industry and the latest Product and System offerings which provide seamless integration of mill operations and optimized energy efficiencies. The electrification delivery includes air insulated switchgear, Onan Transformers, and low voltage
Motor Control Centers with drives, Softstarters and low voltage motors. The automation scope of supply includes a comprehensive DCS (distributed control system) based on extended automation System 800xA with AC800M Controllers , Process Portal Operator Stations with complete Profibus integration for the mill. The QCS (Quality Control Systems) delivery includes the popular NP700 Network platform with Moisture, Basis Weight and Infrared measurements. ABB’s local operations in Singapore and Philippines will execute the project. Installation and commissioning is scheduled for the second quarter of 2011. Schweitzer-Mauduit and its subsidiaries conduct business in over 90 countries and employ 2,900 people worldwide, with operations in the United States, France, Brazil, Philippines, Indonesia, Canada and China. ABB (http://www.abb.com/) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people.
4
IRCC & PPSA
A perfect combination
5
This acquisition further reinforces our ability to do this in a number of important ways: Reliability: It improves the security of supply for our customers. The combination of IRCC and PPSA in Brazil provides a focussed and committed team devoted to maximising the performance, quality and efficiency of the world’s largest single source production operation. The enhanced production capabilities give added security and also give us the opportunity to focus on the key strengths of each element of the Brazilian operation to maximise the benefit to our customers. Further, the addition of the PPSA port facilities to our existing operations
The recent acquisition of PPSA by the IMERYS Pigments for Paper group is a significant move in our strategy to remain one of the leading suppliers of kaolin to the worldwide paper industry but it is also a tangible sign of the
provides increased capacity, flexibility and security of supply.
Sustainability: Product form standardisation will allow us to focus on the lowest
continuation of IMERYS’ commitment to the paper industry to ensure sustainable long term supplies of high quality kaolin. Our paper markets are changing. However, kaolin still constitutes an important strategic raw material for the
practicable environmental footprint.
Products: It broadens the reserve position to better match our raw material
industry and we strongly believe that there is a long term requirement by the
resources to the product portfolio allowing us to make our products
paper industry for the quality attributes offered by Brazilian kaolin. Our
with minimum processing. The combined resources will allow us to make highly efficient use of the reserve to produce a wide ranging
investment is a demonstration of our commitment to make sure we have the
portfolio. IRCC and PPSA reserves are complementary and together
reserves and assets that are required to maintain the quality, reliability and
provide the full range of products required for the key segments identified by IMERYS. Looking forward, the newly expanded reserves
service associated with our products. We believe kaolin has a long term future,
will enhance IMERYS’ ability to develop our product range to meet
for segments that require the functionality that kaolin brings either alone or in association with calcium carbonate. This investment will allow IMERYS to better serve key coated paper and packaging segments and the combination of assets
the future needs of the industry.
Quality: The newly expanded reserves will secure the long-term availability
in Brazil along with our assets in the USA and UK will also facilitate further
of kaolin from Brazil which further strengthens our long-term
development of our high brightness filler kaolin portfolio for uncoated
quality position. Additionally economies of scale can be leveraged to reinforce the high record of quality consistency of PPSA and IRCC.
mechanical and other paper grades.
Quantity: A world class pigment supplier requires a combination of a number of key
Access to the reserves of PPSA and the combination of their mining with IRCC reserves extends the long term availability of IMERYS’
attributes. Key amongst these is the ability to offer reliably and sustainably the
world class kaolin resources. Together these reserves constitute an
right products at the right quality in the right quantities at the right cost.
outstandingly wide and diversified range of raw materials for paper production. Continued overleaf
IMERYS Pigments for Paper
www.imerys-paper.com
4
IRCC & PPSA
A perfect combination
5
This acquisition further reinforces our ability to do this in a number of important ways: Reliability: It improves the security of supply for our customers. The combination of IRCC and PPSA in Brazil provides a focussed and committed team devoted to maximising the performance, quality and efficiency of the world’s largest single source production operation. The enhanced production capabilities give added security and also give us the opportunity to focus on the key strengths of each element of the Brazilian operation to maximise the benefit to our customers. Further, the addition of the PPSA port facilities to our existing operations
The recent acquisition of PPSA by the IMERYS Pigments for Paper group is a significant move in our strategy to remain one of the leading suppliers of kaolin to the worldwide paper industry but it is also a tangible sign of the
provides increased capacity, flexibility and security of supply.
Sustainability: Product form standardisation will allow us to focus on the lowest
continuation of IMERYS’ commitment to the paper industry to ensure sustainable long term supplies of high quality kaolin. Our paper markets are changing. However, kaolin still constitutes an important strategic raw material for the
practicable environmental footprint.
Products: It broadens the reserve position to better match our raw material
industry and we strongly believe that there is a long term requirement by the
resources to the product portfolio allowing us to make our products
paper industry for the quality attributes offered by Brazilian kaolin. Our
with minimum processing. The combined resources will allow us to make highly efficient use of the reserve to produce a wide ranging
investment is a demonstration of our commitment to make sure we have the
portfolio. IRCC and PPSA reserves are complementary and together
reserves and assets that are required to maintain the quality, reliability and
provide the full range of products required for the key segments identified by IMERYS. Looking forward, the newly expanded reserves
service associated with our products. We believe kaolin has a long term future,
will enhance IMERYS’ ability to develop our product range to meet
for segments that require the functionality that kaolin brings either alone or in association with calcium carbonate. This investment will allow IMERYS to better serve key coated paper and packaging segments and the combination of assets
the future needs of the industry.
Quality: The newly expanded reserves will secure the long-term availability
in Brazil along with our assets in the USA and UK will also facilitate further
of kaolin from Brazil which further strengthens our long-term
development of our high brightness filler kaolin portfolio for uncoated
quality position. Additionally economies of scale can be leveraged to reinforce the high record of quality consistency of PPSA and IRCC.
mechanical and other paper grades.
Quantity: A world class pigment supplier requires a combination of a number of key
Access to the reserves of PPSA and the combination of their mining with IRCC reserves extends the long term availability of IMERYS’
attributes. Key amongst these is the ability to offer reliably and sustainably the
world class kaolin resources. Together these reserves constitute an
right products at the right quality in the right quantities at the right cost.
outstandingly wide and diversified range of raw materials for paper production. Continued overleaf
IMERYS Pigments for Paper
www.imerys-paper.com
6
Cost:
Strengthsof Brazillian Kaolin for Paper
7
Importantly this acquisition also reinforces our ability to deliver consistent quality cost effectively. Product range optimisation to give a product portfolio well suited to the reserves will allow us to ensure a sustainable low cost production platform. Increased volume throughput will allow efficient utilisation of current production assets and production facilities to maintain the strong cost position of high quality Brazilian kaolin in the global market. As well as these great attributes the interface with our customers is of huge importance and the acquisition of PPSA also brings benefits to us here. The combination of PPSA and IRCC will give us improved
IRCC and PPSA Kaolins High Performance….Naturally! Kaolins have been produced at IRCC and PPSA since the mid 1990’s and have become firmly established as the high quality products of choice for the global paper market. The principal strengths of these products lie in the raw material itself. “Natural engineering” delivers a combination of high brightness, narrow particle size distribution and low abrasion which cannot be matched sustainably from other global reserves.
This enables higher pigment slurry solids to be achieved and translates into higher colour solids in coating applications. This can be particularly important for Metered Size Press (MSP) applications where the runnability window at high speeds can be limited. Coating at high solids together with the generation of an open coating structure can also help reduce drying energy.
market coverage. Furthermore it will allow us continuing focus on IMERYS has long been recognised as a technical leader in the application of pigments in papermaking and at a time when all costs are under pressure greater volume will support our ability to continue in this role. Combining the existing strong presence of PPSA in Asia and Brazil with IMERYS’ current involvement in the European and North American markets generates a supplier with improved global reach. This combination of PPSA and IRCC will provide enhanced geographical market coverage which will lead to significant benefits for customers. Last but not least our ability to get our products to customers in
Brazilian Kaolins in Coating The combination of narrow particle size distribution and high brightness is a feature of all IRCC and PPSA products and helps deliver improved light scatter and optical performance in a wide range of coating applications. In coating applications the need to balance gloss development with high brightness can often be challenging. Traditionally the kaolin imparts gloss, coverage and printability while carbonate imparts brightness. A key strength of Brazilian engineered grades is the ability to shift this balance delivering improved optical performance for a given level of kaolin in the recipe. This can help papermakers meet the market demands for brightness at higher kaolin levels resulting in improved printability in both offset and rotogravure applications.
Carbonates
improved throughputs and utilisation and will help secure the low Low
Poor
Kaolin Coverage, PPS Coverage, Coverage PPS
manage throughput effectively at peak times, allowing optimisation
The acquisition of PPSA is a major step to reinforce our Brazilian operations and they are an ever more important element of IMERYS’ global kaolin supply strategy. However this does not mean that our
Good
Gloss Stiffness Print Quality
provides increased security as well as additional opportunities to
to manage variations in the supply chain.
Alternatively the optical benefits can be used to reduce costs. For example reducing the amount of optical brightening agent needed and in some geographies, offsetting the need for expensive opacifiers such as Calcined clay and Ti02. The rheology of Brazilian kaolins also tends to be superior to that for “engineered” products with similar steepness and shape from other global reserves.
1600
Brazilian Engineered kaolin 71 wt% North American Engineered kaolin 67 wt%
1400 1200 1000 800
mPa.s
IMERYS’ global supply chain.
Neutral Combinations
Brazilian Fillers
Standard SC Kaolin Sheet Demand Ink Demand
Low (Best) High (Best)
For SC papers, these clays can be used to produce high brightness SC-A+ grades under acid conditions without the compromise in surface properties and ink demand normally seen in neutral papermaking. Alternatively the scatter and brightness benefits can be traded for cost reduction through reduced pulp bleaching. Additionally, Brazilian fillers have a strong technical fit as fillers for LWC base papers where high loadings can be achieved resulting in benefits to surface quality after coating.
1800
Viscosity, mPa.s
established paper production regions provides added security to
GCC
Low (Worst) High (Worst)
The North American and UK production operations remain important markets served. Additionally their location in the world’s major
Calcined Clay PCC
Standard Quality Quality
other existing production sites are losing their importance to IMERYS. due to the different nature of the reserves, products supplied and
The coarse and steep particle size can help machine runnability through improved dewatering, better retention and good paper strength, while the low abrasion is good for wire life. Paper quality can also be improved through the combination of high natural brightness and decreased absorption. Brazilian filler grades are close to 88 ISO brightness whereas many standard kaolin fillers are 83 ISO or lower.
High High Bright Bright Quality Quality
Key trade-off is generating brightness without adversely affecting surface quality and printability
cost operating philosophy. Optimisation of port facilities in Brazil
of shipping, improved utilisation of vessels and increased flexibility
Filler Requirement • Coarse & Steep PSD • Coarse & Steep PSD • Steep PSD • Low Abrasion
Engineered Kaolins can help shift this balance
Brightness
market. Better use of regional distribution infrastructure will lead to
Runnability • Fast Dewatering • High Filler Loading • Good Paper Strength • Long Wire Life
High
good condition at the right time is enhanced through the combination of PPSA and IRCC which will further optimise logistics for the global
Brazilian Kaolins in Filling The combination of a coarse, steep particle size distribution together with high brightness and low abrasion give Brazilian filler grades a unique balance of properties.
Brightness
technical service and applications development due to greater volume;
600 400 200 0 10
100
1000
10000
Summary The IRCC- PPSA platform is without doubt the leading production facility globally for sustainable high quality engineered kaolins which deliver unmatched, cost- efficient performance in a wide range of paper making and paper coating applications.
Shear rate, s-1
IMERYS Pigments for Paper
www.imerys-paper.com
6
Cost:
Strengthsof Brazillian Kaolin for Paper
7
Importantly this acquisition also reinforces our ability to deliver consistent quality cost effectively. Product range optimisation to give a product portfolio well suited to the reserves will allow us to ensure a sustainable low cost production platform. Increased volume throughput will allow efficient utilisation of current production assets and production facilities to maintain the strong cost position of high quality Brazilian kaolin in the global market. As well as these great attributes the interface with our customers is of huge importance and the acquisition of PPSA also brings benefits to us here. The combination of PPSA and IRCC will give us improved
IRCC and PPSA Kaolins High Performance….Naturally! Kaolins have been produced at IRCC and PPSA since the mid 1990’s and have become firmly established as the high quality products of choice for the global paper market. The principal strengths of these products lie in the raw material itself. “Natural engineering” delivers a combination of high brightness, narrow particle size distribution and low abrasion which cannot be matched sustainably from other global reserves.
This enables higher pigment slurry solids to be achieved and translates into higher colour solids in coating applications. This can be particularly important for Metered Size Press (MSP) applications where the runnability window at high speeds can be limited. Coating at high solids together with the generation of an open coating structure can also help reduce drying energy.
market coverage. Furthermore it will allow us continuing focus on IMERYS has long been recognised as a technical leader in the application of pigments in papermaking and at a time when all costs are under pressure greater volume will support our ability to continue in this role. Combining the existing strong presence of PPSA in Asia and Brazil with IMERYS’ current involvement in the European and North American markets generates a supplier with improved global reach. This combination of PPSA and IRCC will provide enhanced geographical market coverage which will lead to significant benefits for customers. Last but not least our ability to get our products to customers in
Brazilian Kaolins in Coating The combination of narrow particle size distribution and high brightness is a feature of all IRCC and PPSA products and helps deliver improved light scatter and optical performance in a wide range of coating applications. In coating applications the need to balance gloss development with high brightness can often be challenging. Traditionally the kaolin imparts gloss, coverage and printability while carbonate imparts brightness. A key strength of Brazilian engineered grades is the ability to shift this balance delivering improved optical performance for a given level of kaolin in the recipe. This can help papermakers meet the market demands for brightness at higher kaolin levels resulting in improved printability in both offset and rotogravure applications.
Carbonates
improved throughputs and utilisation and will help secure the low Low
Poor
Kaolin Coverage, PPS Coverage, Coverage PPS
manage throughput effectively at peak times, allowing optimisation
The acquisition of PPSA is a major step to reinforce our Brazilian operations and they are an ever more important element of IMERYS’ global kaolin supply strategy. However this does not mean that our
Good
Gloss Stiffness Print Quality
provides increased security as well as additional opportunities to
to manage variations in the supply chain.
Alternatively the optical benefits can be used to reduce costs. For example reducing the amount of optical brightening agent needed and in some geographies, offsetting the need for expensive opacifiers such as Calcined clay and Ti02. The rheology of Brazilian kaolins also tends to be superior to that for “engineered” products with similar steepness and shape from other global reserves.
1600
Brazilian Engineered kaolin 71 wt% North American Engineered kaolin 67 wt%
1400 1200 1000 800
mPa.s
IMERYS’ global supply chain.
Neutral Combinations
Brazilian Fillers
Standard SC Kaolin Sheet Demand Ink Demand
Low (Best) High (Best)
For SC papers, these clays can be used to produce high brightness SC-A+ grades under acid conditions without the compromise in surface properties and ink demand normally seen in neutral papermaking. Alternatively the scatter and brightness benefits can be traded for cost reduction through reduced pulp bleaching. Additionally, Brazilian fillers have a strong technical fit as fillers for LWC base papers where high loadings can be achieved resulting in benefits to surface quality after coating.
1800
Viscosity, mPa.s
established paper production regions provides added security to
GCC
Low (Worst) High (Worst)
The North American and UK production operations remain important markets served. Additionally their location in the world’s major
Calcined Clay PCC
Standard Quality Quality
other existing production sites are losing their importance to IMERYS. due to the different nature of the reserves, products supplied and
The coarse and steep particle size can help machine runnability through improved dewatering, better retention and good paper strength, while the low abrasion is good for wire life. Paper quality can also be improved through the combination of high natural brightness and decreased absorption. Brazilian filler grades are close to 88 ISO brightness whereas many standard kaolin fillers are 83 ISO or lower.
High High Bright Bright Quality Quality
Key trade-off is generating brightness without adversely affecting surface quality and printability
cost operating philosophy. Optimisation of port facilities in Brazil
of shipping, improved utilisation of vessels and increased flexibility
Filler Requirement • Coarse & Steep PSD • Coarse & Steep PSD • Steep PSD • Low Abrasion
Engineered Kaolins can help shift this balance
Brightness
market. Better use of regional distribution infrastructure will lead to
Runnability • Fast Dewatering • High Filler Loading • Good Paper Strength • Long Wire Life
High
good condition at the right time is enhanced through the combination of PPSA and IRCC which will further optimise logistics for the global
Brazilian Kaolins in Filling The combination of a coarse, steep particle size distribution together with high brightness and low abrasion give Brazilian filler grades a unique balance of properties.
Brightness
technical service and applications development due to greater volume;
600 400 200 0 10
100
1000
10000
Summary The IRCC- PPSA platform is without doubt the leading production facility globally for sustainable high quality engineered kaolins which deliver unmatched, cost- efficient performance in a wide range of paper making and paper coating applications.
Shear rate, s-1
IMERYS Pigments for Paper
www.imerys-paper.com
29-31 March 2011 (Exhibition) 28-31 March 2011 (Conference) Acropolis, Nice, France
Tissue World
in 2011 Nice The Big One A World of Ideas . . . and Opportunities! Tissue World in Nice is THE BIG ONE: The original high-level meeting place for the world’s tissue paper business. By putting focus on this important fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) from both a market viewpoint as well as a technical development angle, Tissue World has become recognized as the world’s best conference for this dynamic sector. Continuing the tradition of excellence, plans are now underway for the next BIG ONE: Tissue World 2011. Planned for late March 28-31, 2011, Tissue World in Nice will offer the industry a great chance to exchange ideas and solutions. For Suppliers to the Tissue Business –Your booth at the show is like setting up an office in the middle of all the decision makers in the world of tissue. This offers you a uniquely effective way to meet key people and discuss your products and solutions with this important group of customers and potential customers. To reserve your space on the floorplan, contact us NOW to get the best location. For Tissue Makers – For tissue makers, or companies thinking about expanding in or entering the tissue business, this is great opportunity to see all the world’s suppliers in one place at one time. Don’t miss it!
Organised By:
Official Publication:
www.tissueworld.com
10
11
MULTILAYER COATING CONCEPTS: IS IT TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH? 1 CHRIS NUTBEEM & BENNY HALLAM OF IMERYS MINERALS LTD.
Example 01 Bulk and Coverage
In today’s fine paper environment we now believe it can make more sense to use the functionality of kaolin in precoating rather than in topcoating. Modest amounts of kaolin combined with coarse carbonates in precoating can improve quality and give more degrees of freedom for reformulating the topcoat to lower overall cost.
WHERE TO START Selecting kaolins that are relatively coarse in particle size, with high aspect ratios and hence large plate diameters, are key to making this approach successful. Although kaolins from North America and Brazil are currently used in these formulations, there are select reserves in Asia which could, with the appropriate processing and know how, provide the necessary characteristics for successful precoating applications. Good basepaper coverage is essential in maintaining quality in multi-layer coating applications and can also offer potential for cost reduction. For example improved coverage could enable the use of lower cost rougher base stocks without the same tendency for mottle related issues. Additionally, improved precoat coverage can facilitate the use of kaolin free topcoats especially on rougher basestocks. This can bring value through replacing high cost ultrafine glossing kaolin with lower cost precoating kaolin. Further savings can then be made with respect to binder type and level in the topcoat recipe. Using coarse platey kaolin in the precoat can improve the smoothness and delta gloss of matt or silk grades, with further benefits coming from using the same kaolin to replace some coarse ground calcium carbonate (GCC) in the top coat. This approach does not reduce the overall formulation cost for the coatings, but it can improve appearance.
THE MULTILAYER COATING MODEL
BASEPAPER COVERAGE AND SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS
Much of the coated wood-free paper produced globally is multicoated with two or three coating layers applied to each side of the paper. The precoat and mid-coat layers provide physical coverage of the base and optical performance, while the top coat provides surface finish (gloss, silk, or matt) and printability.
On a repeat basis, studies have shown that adding kaolin to the precoat reduces precoat roughness. Through extensive analysis using test such as laser profilometry, which assesses roughness at different length scales, and the more classic burnout test, we have demonstrated significantly improved coverage through this approach. This has positive implications for the roughness, sheet gloss, print gloss development, and mottle characteristics in the finished paper. In addition the improved coverage can result in reduced fibre pick during coating, improving paper machine runnability and efficiency and reducing the need to increase binder in the formulation.
The precoat in most coated fine paper applications today is based on 100% coarse, inexpensive carbonate while the topcoat is generally based on combinations of fine GCC and ultrafine glossing kaolin. However, in many regions, including much of Asia, topcoat kaolin is significantly more expensive than standard fine carbonates. So the trend among large mills is to reduce or eliminate glossing kaolin in top coating.
When combined with GCC, high aspect ratio kaolins can also deliver a bulky structure. This will further improve physical coverage and also optical coverage through increased light scattering which can be important on lower brightness basestocks (eg Board). However, the structure will retain a high degree of tortuosity, making fluid flow and migration of top coat binders more difficult.
Low-kaolin or kaolin-free top coating is well established. However, developing sheet gloss and print gloss remains a challenge and often requires significant reformulation in binders and additives. Porosity control and mottle also can be issues. Solving these problems can lead to increased formulation costs, which can offset the savings associated with fine kaolin reduction, and brand image can suffer if printability issues persist.
Optical and coverage benefits of kaolin and GCC combinations have been evident in pilot scale studies of wood-free precoating. In the following example 30 parts of kaolin in the precoat show improvement in coverage when added to standard or engineered (steep) GCC in metered size press precoating, resulting in significantly improved smoothness. Kaolin addition to standard GCC typically has a minor effect on non-fluorescent brightness and increases opacity to a small degree going some towards achieving the level normally seen with engineered carbonates.
In many cases, the problems associated with low-kaolin top coating can be linked to base paper effects, unevenness in the coating layers, and porosity characteristics. Achieving good base paper coverage can resolve these issues. The best solution overall might be to focus on improving the precoat, rather than the top coat itself. Historically, kaolin use in wood- free precoating has been low due to cost and brightness considerations, but the development of lowercost, high-brightness platey kaolins is changing the dynamic. It may now make sense from a cost performance standpoint to use kaolin functionality in precoating rather than in top coating.
Example 02 Metered Size Press Precoating
The key to improved coverage and bulk in the precoat lies in the aspect ratio of the kaolin; with higher shape kaolins giving better structuring and performance than lower shape kaolins.
PRECOATING INFLUENCES
These effects were further explored in a pilot coating study which assessed a range of North American and Brazilian precoat kaolin options. These were used as low-level blend components with standard GCC in a blade-coated European wood-free application.
Pigment selection for precoating markedly influences base paper coverage and the ability to provide a good barrier layer for top coat applications. 25 parts of high aspect ratio kaolin added to a precoat, combined with coarse GCC and a latex starch recipe have proven to be quite effective.
As before, coverage and smoothness improved compared to 100% GCC precoats when any of the kaolins were added to the recipe. More detailed analysis using scanning electron microscopy of paper cross-sections showed these benefits arose mainly from the increased bulk giving significant increased coating thickness.,
1 Significant improvements in coverage and PPS from kaolin addition to precoat. 1 Bulking effects of kaolin and standard GCC give light scatter and opacity benefits v standard GCC alone. 1 Further benefits from kaolin and narrow p.s.d. GCC together.
IMERYS Pigments for Paper
www.imerys-paper.com
10
11
MULTILAYER COATING CONCEPTS: IS IT TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH? 1 CHRIS NUTBEEM & BENNY HALLAM OF IMERYS MINERALS LTD.
Example 01 Bulk and Coverage
In today’s fine paper environment we now believe it can make more sense to use the functionality of kaolin in precoating rather than in topcoating. Modest amounts of kaolin combined with coarse carbonates in precoating can improve quality and give more degrees of freedom for reformulating the topcoat to lower overall cost.
WHERE TO START Selecting kaolins that are relatively coarse in particle size, with high aspect ratios and hence large plate diameters, are key to making this approach successful. Although kaolins from North America and Brazil are currently used in these formulations, there are select reserves in Asia which could, with the appropriate processing and know how, provide the necessary characteristics for successful precoating applications. Good basepaper coverage is essential in maintaining quality in multi-layer coating applications and can also offer potential for cost reduction. For example improved coverage could enable the use of lower cost rougher base stocks without the same tendency for mottle related issues. Additionally, improved precoat coverage can facilitate the use of kaolin free topcoats especially on rougher basestocks. This can bring value through replacing high cost ultrafine glossing kaolin with lower cost precoating kaolin. Further savings can then be made with respect to binder type and level in the topcoat recipe. Using coarse platey kaolin in the precoat can improve the smoothness and delta gloss of matt or silk grades, with further benefits coming from using the same kaolin to replace some coarse ground calcium carbonate (GCC) in the top coat. This approach does not reduce the overall formulation cost for the coatings, but it can improve appearance.
THE MULTILAYER COATING MODEL
BASEPAPER COVERAGE AND SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS
Much of the coated wood-free paper produced globally is multicoated with two or three coating layers applied to each side of the paper. The precoat and mid-coat layers provide physical coverage of the base and optical performance, while the top coat provides surface finish (gloss, silk, or matt) and printability.
On a repeat basis, studies have shown that adding kaolin to the precoat reduces precoat roughness. Through extensive analysis using test such as laser profilometry, which assesses roughness at different length scales, and the more classic burnout test, we have demonstrated significantly improved coverage through this approach. This has positive implications for the roughness, sheet gloss, print gloss development, and mottle characteristics in the finished paper. In addition the improved coverage can result in reduced fibre pick during coating, improving paper machine runnability and efficiency and reducing the need to increase binder in the formulation.
The precoat in most coated fine paper applications today is based on 100% coarse, inexpensive carbonate while the topcoat is generally based on combinations of fine GCC and ultrafine glossing kaolin. However, in many regions, including much of Asia, topcoat kaolin is significantly more expensive than standard fine carbonates. So the trend among large mills is to reduce or eliminate glossing kaolin in top coating.
When combined with GCC, high aspect ratio kaolins can also deliver a bulky structure. This will further improve physical coverage and also optical coverage through increased light scattering which can be important on lower brightness basestocks (eg Board). However, the structure will retain a high degree of tortuosity, making fluid flow and migration of top coat binders more difficult.
Low-kaolin or kaolin-free top coating is well established. However, developing sheet gloss and print gloss remains a challenge and often requires significant reformulation in binders and additives. Porosity control and mottle also can be issues. Solving these problems can lead to increased formulation costs, which can offset the savings associated with fine kaolin reduction, and brand image can suffer if printability issues persist.
Optical and coverage benefits of kaolin and GCC combinations have been evident in pilot scale studies of wood-free precoating. In the following example 30 parts of kaolin in the precoat show improvement in coverage when added to standard or engineered (steep) GCC in metered size press precoating, resulting in significantly improved smoothness. Kaolin addition to standard GCC typically has a minor effect on non-fluorescent brightness and increases opacity to a small degree going some towards achieving the level normally seen with engineered carbonates.
In many cases, the problems associated with low-kaolin top coating can be linked to base paper effects, unevenness in the coating layers, and porosity characteristics. Achieving good base paper coverage can resolve these issues. The best solution overall might be to focus on improving the precoat, rather than the top coat itself. Historically, kaolin use in wood- free precoating has been low due to cost and brightness considerations, but the development of lowercost, high-brightness platey kaolins is changing the dynamic. It may now make sense from a cost performance standpoint to use kaolin functionality in precoating rather than in top coating.
Example 02 Metered Size Press Precoating
The key to improved coverage and bulk in the precoat lies in the aspect ratio of the kaolin; with higher shape kaolins giving better structuring and performance than lower shape kaolins.
PRECOATING INFLUENCES
These effects were further explored in a pilot coating study which assessed a range of North American and Brazilian precoat kaolin options. These were used as low-level blend components with standard GCC in a blade-coated European wood-free application.
Pigment selection for precoating markedly influences base paper coverage and the ability to provide a good barrier layer for top coat applications. 25 parts of high aspect ratio kaolin added to a precoat, combined with coarse GCC and a latex starch recipe have proven to be quite effective.
As before, coverage and smoothness improved compared to 100% GCC precoats when any of the kaolins were added to the recipe. More detailed analysis using scanning electron microscopy of paper cross-sections showed these benefits arose mainly from the increased bulk giving significant increased coating thickness.,
1 Significant improvements in coverage and PPS from kaolin addition to precoat. 1 Bulking effects of kaolin and standard GCC give light scatter and opacity benefits v standard GCC alone. 1 Further benefits from kaolin and narrow p.s.d. GCC together.
IMERYS Pigments for Paper
www.imerys-paper.com
13
Example 03 Mottle in Double Coated Board
12
MULTILAYER COATING CONCEPTS: IS IT TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH? MOTTLE CONSIDERATIONS
1 Using kaolin in the precoat improves gloss and brightness, makes the board smoother and reduces optical mottle.
Mottle is one of the most common problems reported for coated papers and often occurs because of differences in porosity in the coating layers or poor coverage of base paper. It follows that improving coverage in the precoat could be a powerful tool for reducing mottling tendency whether this be an optical type mottle on lower brightness basestocks or a gloss or print mottle.
INFLUENCE OF PRECOAT IN GLOSSY WOOD-FREE Paper and print gloss development remain the key challenges when using kaolin-free top coats in multilayer coating applications.
Example 04 Technical Needs in Low Gloss Papers
A 100% GCC top coat is often slightly deficient in sheet gloss and print gloss compared to more conventional recipes containing 20-30 parts of ultrafine kaolin. Increasing the sheet and print gloss in the kaolin-free systems can be challenging and can often mean changing to finer binders with lower ink interactivity and/ or increasing calendar load, which can be detrimental to opacity and stiffness. Using high shape kaolins in the precoat can help change these dynamics. In numerous studies benefits to print gloss and opacity have been observed through this approach which gives more degrees of freedom for topcoat design. In one case study, the topcoats based on 100 parts ultrafine GCC, were applied to a range of kaolin-containing precoats and a reference GCC-only precoat. Coatings were applied at 69% solids in the laboratory. The coated papers were then laboratory supercalendered to give gloss levels of close to 75 with the reference system. The results are shown in the following table and indicate benefits to print gloss when the kaolin free-topcoat was applied onto kaolin- containing precoats. In this study sheet gloss was not improved, through kaolin addition to the precoat, but it should be noted that the basepaper was already reasonably smooth with a PPS of 5.6. On rougher basestocks (eg white lined Board) 2-3 units improvement in sheet gloss have been observed through kaolin addition to the precoat.
1 Producing a good matt or silk paper is really about finding the best compromise between often competing paper characteristics 1 Achieving good print snap without slowing ink setting and achieving low sheet gloss with good smoothness and bulk are often key challenges in these applications 1 Here we see how coarse platey kaolin in the precoat as well as the topcoat can shift this balance.
IMERYS Pigments for Paper
Optical maps were generated using a computer scanner where greyscale images were collected and the variation assessed using image analysis techniques. The were lightly calendered to achieve a target gloss of approximately 40. The results show that using coarse high-shape kaolin in the precoat improved smoothness for the same paper gloss level and improved print gloss development (delta gloss) without adverse changes in ink setting. Significant improvements in delta gloss, print abrasion (ink scuff), and opacity resulted when the same coarse kaolin was used to partially replace the coarse carbonate in the bimodal low gloss top coat. Paper gloss and ink setting rates were similar to those of the all carbonate reference. Overall, adding coarse platey kaolin to the precoat provides low sheet roughness for a given target gloss, which helps with print gloss development. These kaolins also improve printability when used in the top coat.
INFLUENCE OF PRECOAT IN MATT/SILK WOOD-FREE Producing a good matt or silk paper is really about finding the best compromise between often competing paper characteristics. Producers of matt and silk papers strive for good smoothness, low paper gloss, high bulk, and high print snap or delta gloss without overly slow ink setting. This latter issue, particularly in low gloss papers, can cause ink scuff problems and printing press inefficiencies.
Opacity was also improved which can be beneficial if harder calendering is required to restore gloss or for lighter weight applications where opacity can often be a critical parameter. Adding low levels of kaolin to the precoat tended to have relatively little effect on finished paper brightness after application of the top coat, partly because bulk structuring improves light scattering. This also has implications for opacity; kaolin addition in the precoat can allow more freedom for adjusting calendering to regain gloss. Although non-UV brightness is largely unaffected by kaolin in the precoat, fluorescence can be reduced, resulting in lower overall UV brightness. This drop is more than offset by kaolin removal from the top coat and could be adjusted by changing the balance between optical brightening additives in pre- and top coat.
In the following example the influence of the precoat on optical mottle tendency was explored using whitelined chipboard with a PPS 10 roughness of 5.2m. In this case, 25 parts of high shape kaolin were added to a precoat recipe based on 60 grade GCC. A latexstarch recipe was used and colour solids of 66.5% were maintained throughout. Precoating was carried out at pilot scale and topcoating using a laboratory HelicoaterTM. A standard top coat based on 95 grade GCC and 15 parts of glossing kaolin was applied and compared with another based on 100% ultrafine GCC.
1 Precoat kaolins can also be used to good effect in Matt/Silk Topcoating to replace coarse GCC.
To see if modifying the precoat can influence the gloss-smoothness balance in low gloss applications and improve delta gloss without slowing ink setting rates, pilot coated base papers based on 100% 60 grade GCC and 60 grade GCC with 25% coarse platey Brazilian kaolin were used to map these effects. In addition to applying a standard kaolin-free bimodal top coat, some of the coarse carbonate used to control gloss in the top coat was replaced with the same high shape kaolin used in the precoat. The coated papers were lightly calendered to achieve a target gloss of approximately 40.
The results show that using coarse high-shape kaolin in the precoat improved smoothness for the same paper gloss level and improved print gloss development (delta gloss) without adverse changes in ink setting. Significant improvements in delta gloss, print abrasion (ink scuff), and opacity resulted when the same coarse kaolin was used to partially replace the coarse carbonate in the bimodal low gloss top coat. Paper gloss and ink setting rates were similar to those of the all carbonate reference. Overall, adding coarse platey kaolin to the precoat provides low sheet roughness for a given target gloss, which helps with print gloss development. These kaolins also improve printability when used in the top coat.
CONCLUSIONS In today’s fine paper environment it can be advantageous to use the functionality of kaolin in precoating rather than in topcoating to achieve superior basepaper coverage with increased bulk and light scatter. Good base paper coverage is essential in maintaining quality in multilayer coating applications and can reduce costs. Combining kaolin and coarse carbonate can enhance the ability of the precoat to cover base coat roughness which could enable the use of lower cost rougher base stocks without the same tendency for mottle related issues. Improved precoat coverage can facilitate the use of kaolin-free top coats, especially on rougher base stocks, reducing the need for high-cost ultrafine glossing kaolin and offering potential for top coat binder reduction. Kaolin in precoating also improves print reducing the need for more expensive binders to control printability. Additionally, coarse platey kaolin in the precoat helps smoothness and delta gloss in matt or silk grades, with further benefits coming from using the same kaolin to replace some coarse GCC in the top coat. Overall it is evident that while carbonates can be made fine enough to deliver gloss they cannot be modified sufficiently in shape to improve coverage. As a result, we conclude that the value of kaolin in today’s cost focussed coated fine paper market is therefore in its ability to cover the surface, not in its ability to generate paper gloss. q
www.imerys-paper.com
13
Example 03 Mottle in Double Coated Board
12
MULTILAYER COATING CONCEPTS: IS IT TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH? MOTTLE CONSIDERATIONS
1 Using kaolin in the precoat improves gloss and brightness, makes the board smoother and reduces optical mottle.
Mottle is one of the most common problems reported for coated papers and often occurs because of differences in porosity in the coating layers or poor coverage of base paper. It follows that improving coverage in the precoat could be a powerful tool for reducing mottling tendency whether this be an optical type mottle on lower brightness basestocks or a gloss or print mottle.
INFLUENCE OF PRECOAT IN GLOSSY WOOD-FREE Paper and print gloss development remain the key challenges when using kaolin-free top coats in multilayer coating applications.
Example 04 Technical Needs in Low Gloss Papers
A 100% GCC top coat is often slightly deficient in sheet gloss and print gloss compared to more conventional recipes containing 20-30 parts of ultrafine kaolin. Increasing the sheet and print gloss in the kaolin-free systems can be challenging and can often mean changing to finer binders with lower ink interactivity and/ or increasing calendar load, which can be detrimental to opacity and stiffness. Using high shape kaolins in the precoat can help change these dynamics. In numerous studies benefits to print gloss and opacity have been observed through this approach which gives more degrees of freedom for topcoat design. In one case study, the topcoats based on 100 parts ultrafine GCC, were applied to a range of kaolin-containing precoats and a reference GCC-only precoat. Coatings were applied at 69% solids in the laboratory. The coated papers were then laboratory supercalendered to give gloss levels of close to 75 with the reference system. The results are shown in the following table and indicate benefits to print gloss when the kaolin free-topcoat was applied onto kaolin- containing precoats. In this study sheet gloss was not improved, through kaolin addition to the precoat, but it should be noted that the basepaper was already reasonably smooth with a PPS of 5.6. On rougher basestocks (eg white lined Board) 2-3 units improvement in sheet gloss have been observed through kaolin addition to the precoat.
1 Producing a good matt or silk paper is really about finding the best compromise between often competing paper characteristics 1 Achieving good print snap without slowing ink setting and achieving low sheet gloss with good smoothness and bulk are often key challenges in these applications 1 Here we see how coarse platey kaolin in the precoat as well as the topcoat can shift this balance.
IMERYS Pigments for Paper
Optical maps were generated using a computer scanner where greyscale images were collected and the variation assessed using image analysis techniques. The were lightly calendered to achieve a target gloss of approximately 40. The results show that using coarse high-shape kaolin in the precoat improved smoothness for the same paper gloss level and improved print gloss development (delta gloss) without adverse changes in ink setting. Significant improvements in delta gloss, print abrasion (ink scuff), and opacity resulted when the same coarse kaolin was used to partially replace the coarse carbonate in the bimodal low gloss top coat. Paper gloss and ink setting rates were similar to those of the all carbonate reference. Overall, adding coarse platey kaolin to the precoat provides low sheet roughness for a given target gloss, which helps with print gloss development. These kaolins also improve printability when used in the top coat.
INFLUENCE OF PRECOAT IN MATT/SILK WOOD-FREE Producing a good matt or silk paper is really about finding the best compromise between often competing paper characteristics. Producers of matt and silk papers strive for good smoothness, low paper gloss, high bulk, and high print snap or delta gloss without overly slow ink setting. This latter issue, particularly in low gloss papers, can cause ink scuff problems and printing press inefficiencies.
Opacity was also improved which can be beneficial if harder calendering is required to restore gloss or for lighter weight applications where opacity can often be a critical parameter. Adding low levels of kaolin to the precoat tended to have relatively little effect on finished paper brightness after application of the top coat, partly because bulk structuring improves light scattering. This also has implications for opacity; kaolin addition in the precoat can allow more freedom for adjusting calendering to regain gloss. Although non-UV brightness is largely unaffected by kaolin in the precoat, fluorescence can be reduced, resulting in lower overall UV brightness. This drop is more than offset by kaolin removal from the top coat and could be adjusted by changing the balance between optical brightening additives in pre- and top coat.
In the following example the influence of the precoat on optical mottle tendency was explored using whitelined chipboard with a PPS 10 roughness of 5.2m. In this case, 25 parts of high shape kaolin were added to a precoat recipe based on 60 grade GCC. A latexstarch recipe was used and colour solids of 66.5% were maintained throughout. Precoating was carried out at pilot scale and topcoating using a laboratory HelicoaterTM. A standard top coat based on 95 grade GCC and 15 parts of glossing kaolin was applied and compared with another based on 100% ultrafine GCC.
1 Precoat kaolins can also be used to good effect in Matt/Silk Topcoating to replace coarse GCC.
To see if modifying the precoat can influence the gloss-smoothness balance in low gloss applications and improve delta gloss without slowing ink setting rates, pilot coated base papers based on 100% 60 grade GCC and 60 grade GCC with 25% coarse platey Brazilian kaolin were used to map these effects. In addition to applying a standard kaolin-free bimodal top coat, some of the coarse carbonate used to control gloss in the top coat was replaced with the same high shape kaolin used in the precoat. The coated papers were lightly calendered to achieve a target gloss of approximately 40.
The results show that using coarse high-shape kaolin in the precoat improved smoothness for the same paper gloss level and improved print gloss development (delta gloss) without adverse changes in ink setting. Significant improvements in delta gloss, print abrasion (ink scuff), and opacity resulted when the same coarse kaolin was used to partially replace the coarse carbonate in the bimodal low gloss top coat. Paper gloss and ink setting rates were similar to those of the all carbonate reference. Overall, adding coarse platey kaolin to the precoat provides low sheet roughness for a given target gloss, which helps with print gloss development. These kaolins also improve printability when used in the top coat.
CONCLUSIONS In today’s fine paper environment it can be advantageous to use the functionality of kaolin in precoating rather than in topcoating to achieve superior basepaper coverage with increased bulk and light scatter. Good base paper coverage is essential in maintaining quality in multilayer coating applications and can reduce costs. Combining kaolin and coarse carbonate can enhance the ability of the precoat to cover base coat roughness which could enable the use of lower cost rougher base stocks without the same tendency for mottle related issues. Improved precoat coverage can facilitate the use of kaolin-free top coats, especially on rougher base stocks, reducing the need for high-cost ultrafine glossing kaolin and offering potential for top coat binder reduction. Kaolin in precoating also improves print reducing the need for more expensive binders to control printability. Additionally, coarse platey kaolin in the precoat helps smoothness and delta gloss in matt or silk grades, with further benefits coming from using the same kaolin to replace some coarse GCC in the top coat. Overall it is evident that while carbonates can be made fine enough to deliver gloss they cannot be modified sufficiently in shape to improve coverage. As a result, we conclude that the value of kaolin in today’s cost focussed coated fine paper market is therefore in its ability to cover the surface, not in its ability to generate paper gloss. q
www.imerys-paper.com
GAW Technologies obtains orders worth 14 Million Euro Chinese Paper Group Nine Dragons is repeatedly relying on GAW know-how The Austrian industrial plant constructor with world-wide excellent reputation GAW technologies has received a very special order with a volume of 14 Mio. Euro from a longterm customer – the largest producer of containerboard products in China – Nine Dragons Paper, and takes an important part in the current production extension at several locations. Paper Corporate Group of the richest self-made woman in the world Cheung Yan (also called Zhang Yin) founded Nine Dragons in 1995 and she reached the top of the richest people list in China only 11 years later. She also was the richest self-made woman in the world at that time. Zhang Yin recognized in time that the rise of the Chinese economy would result in an immense boost of paper-demand. She emigrated to the USA, started to collect waste paper on a grand scale and began a very successful export business where she shipped the raw material to China for recycling purposes.
the fact that GAW has been involved in the delivery of all the existing 34! paper machines of the customer.
GAW scope of delivery at Nine Dragons GAW is delivering the wet-end chemicals, deinking chemicals, GCC wet grinding system, the coating colour preparation and the working stations as well as starch system for the paper machines PM21, 28, 32, 33 and 34. The start-ups of all units are planned in 2011. By closure of these projects - according to Nine Dragons - the overall capacity of the group will increase to 11,1 Million tons per year, this corresponds to a capacity extension of 26%. For this
Massive increase of the production capacity until 2011. The Asian multinational paper company is planning to extend its production capacity significantly in modernizing and extending the existing paper machines and/or building new units at the locations in Taicang, Dongguan, Chongqing and Tianjin until end of 2011. Besides that Nine Dragons is emphasizing its important role as a producer of papers based on recovered/waste paper. In the course of these wide activities Nine Dragons is trusting once again in the competence and know-how of GAW, being a reliable supplier for almost a decade already. An extraordinary sign of trust is
reason Nine Dragons is once more proving its strength as one of the most successful players on the global paper-market. For more information please contact: GAW technologies GmbH Sigrid Tertinegg / marketing Tel: +43 (0)316 2704 119 Fax: +43 (0316) 2704 65119 tertinegg.sigrid@gaw.at
Should you expect support 25 years later? Absolutely.
Maximizing the performance of what you have, adding cutting edge technology to existing systems or just fixing something that’s broken are all things pulp and paper companies should expect from their automation and electrification partner without regard to the age of the system. The expectations for an industry pioneer like ABB have never been higher and we can meet those expectations. www.abb.com/pulpandpaper
Mondi invites visitors to see, feel and sm their paper at Paperworld 2011, January 29th – February 1st in Frankf
DNS® and Nautilus® ReFresh TRIOTEC — new products fro paper portfolios — will be showcased along with Mon Mondi, a global leader in the manufacturing of paper and packaging, has taken a playful approach to this year’s Paperworld with the intriguing invitation to visitors to see, feel, and smell Mondi papers. Mondi’s focus on exploring the senses filters into the Pernod Ricard-sponsored cocktail bar that will open in the lateafternoon at the Mondi booth D21, Hall 4. Mondi will hold extended cocktail hours until 8pm on Monday, January 31, where visitors can enjoy refreshments while talking with Mondi representatives and exploring the aesthetic, tactile and fragrant qualities of Mondi papers.
“This is a fun way to encourage people to explore paper and the creative applications that are possible with new printing and converting technologies,” say Johannes Klumpp Marketing and Sales Director Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper. “Along with the introduction of new products from the DNS® and Color Copy ranges and the launch of Nautilus® ReFresh TRIOTEC, this year our aim is to show customers how to achieve excellent results for particular applications when using specified Mondi papers.”
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Overlapping with Mondi’s long-standing commitment to environmentally sound products, Mondi’s uncoated fine paper product range is tailored for applications in 7 core areas of expertise: office communication, digital print communication, digital print publishing, digital print imaging, transactional printing, offset printing, value added converting. Customers will have the opportunity to ask Mondi representatives about the specific papers qualities that are recommended for certain applications at Paperworld 2011.
ABB inaugurates new manufacturing base for Pulp and Paper Business in China
ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, held here today an opening ceremony for its Quality Control Systems (QCS) and Web Imaging Systems (WIS) factory. The state-of-the-art facility becomes ABB’s only manufacturing base for QCS and WIS worldwide. The move further optimizes the company’s global business footprint and exemplifies its “in China, for the world” strategy. The factory will deliver first class products and solutions to customers in Asia and around the world, addressing the demands of the global papermaking market. Tobias Becker, head of the Process Automation Division, ABB North Asia Region and ABB China, said, “Emerging markets such as China, Brazil, and Indonesia became growth engines of the global paper industry. Their rapid development is fuelling demand for all kinds of automation technologies and is establishing the latest industry trends. The commissioning of the new factory is ABB Group’s most recent move to optimize our global business footprint. It allows us to promptly respond to both Asia and the global markets, and sustainably provide leading products and services to our global customers.” The new factory, located in the Shanghai Pudong New Area, covers 9000 square meters. The ABB Pulp and Paper Business Unit will transfer its entire QCS and WIS
manufacturing business from its Ireland and Finland facilities to the new location, making it the company’s latest global manufacturing center. ABB is the technology leader in the global paper industry, providing the most comprehensive automation, measurement, and electrical equipment portfolio and solutions. ABB Pulp and Paper Business Unit invests over 10% of its annual revenue in R&D and has invented a number of leading technologies and products, including Induction xP, the innovative machine actuator, Optical Caliper Sensor, the revolutionary product for measuring sheet thickness, and Multi-variable cross-direction control, the unique QCS technology. ABB is driving the development of paper automation technology with its advanced technology, solutions, products, and top class services over decades. Its full range of solutions, including electrical, open control, paper machine drive, collaborative production management, quality control, energy management, and web inspection, have been adopted by many large scale papermakers worldwide, such as UPM-Kymmene, Stora Enso, APP etc. QCS is the nervous system of the paper production line, decisive to the quality of paper products. ABB QCS controls production quality by analyzing the paper’s
moisture, thickness, gloss, and other physical parameters with various types of sensors, helping papermakers reduce rejection rates and greatly improve economic returns. ABB WIS detects and reports defects, including holes, spots, and streaks, through its web imaging solutions. It not only guarantees product quality, but also helps papermakers adjust the operating process, to make right decisions of production and maintenance before problems arise, thereby remarkably improving production efficiency and economic returns. China’s paper industry has enjoyed fast growth in the past decade. In order to support this development, ABB began establishing the local Pulp and Paper team as early as 1994 and set up branches in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. It boasts the most comprehensive talent pool and strongest service capabilities serving the paper industry in the country. By 2009, ABB had successfully completed around 500 significant projects in China, building long-term partnerships with a large number of local and global paper companies including Hengan Paper, Nine Dragons Paper, Lee & Man Paper, and Huatai Group. ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, with 15,300 employees, 30 joint ventures and wholly owned companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 60 cities.
ADDING VALUE TO PAPER
ADDING VALUE TO PAPER – JUNE 2010
IMPACT
GLOBAL
design: sheardhudson.com
For and about people at Pigments for Paper
FOR AND ABOUT PEOPLE AT PIGMENTS FOR PAPER Europe Tel: +358 20 757 7700
Asia Pacific Tel: +65 67 99 60 60
N. America Tel: +1 770 594 0660
S. America Tel: +55 11 2133 0055
Internet: www.imerys-paper.com
BTG - Solve print mottle High - Tech blade puts an end to mottle woes Trials prove that soft-tipped "elastomer-based" - coating blades can be the solution to persistent coating problems like surface mottling, which compromise product quality. Read more
Mill saves money and reputation thanks to mottle reduction Print mottle spoils paper quality and undermines a mill’s efficiency and productivity. But while not every mill can upgrade to state-ofthe-art coating equipment, a trial at a prominent mill in the Americas confirms that a simple change to soft-tipped coating blades can be the solution. The latest innovations in coating equipment has made producing coated fine paper much easier for those mills lucky enough to have the resources to make a major capital investment in brand new plant. But for everyone else – and that means the vast majority of paper producers – getting top quality, competitive products out of existing machines remains a daily challenge. Sometimes, though, the solution to persistent production problems proves to be simpler, cheaper, and easier than expected.
One of our coated paper clients in the Americas was experiencing chronic problems with paper mottling, which was impacting productivity and profitability. The mill uses an off-machine coater that was originally installed in the early ‘70s, and partly refurbished a few years ago with new drying hoods, soft calenders and a center winder. The original and manual blade coating heads had not been upgraded and were still in place – so that while paper quality had increased, thanks to the newer equipment, the mill was struggling without success to eliminate paper mottle. To tackle the problem, our engineers worked closely with the mill’s own production staff. The solution: a move to an advanced elastomer-tipped coating blade, which not only resolved the mottle problem on the mill’s most difficult grades, but significantly improved CD coatweight profiles and reel structure.
A mottled coating In general, the point of the coating process is to create a product that, together with applied inks, will serve as a visual medium, conveying artwork and messages to the consumers through publicity material, information products, packaging solutions and more. The visual appearance of the printed surface of the paper projects a perceived quality level – and influences the consumer in subtle and subjective ways. So high-end products rely heavily on highquality papers.
In fact, the fault known as ‘mottle’ does not actually describe any specific defect in the coated paper production process, but rather an undesirable end result that detracts from final printed image quality. The effect is difficult to pin down in words – perhaps the best description would be a ‘non-uniformity’ where homogeneity should prevail. Figures 1a and 1b illustrate the contrast between a clean, uniform end result, and a print test showing mottle.
Figure 1a: A uniform, high quality result
Figure 1b: A mottled finish leads to rejected paper
As paper is, by definition, an imperfect substrate – and some papers more so than others – applying coating to variable surfaces will inevitably result in coated products that exhibit different characteristics. In addition, a wide range of different manufacturing problems can ultimately lead to mottle, starting with fiber quality, and moving through refining and formation at the wet end. The customer had already noticed that
mottling was worst on paper of higher basis weight. But while new equipment – particularly a new drying system and soft nip calendering – had helped a lot, the mill was still losing 180 tons per year of 150-170gsm paper to unsightly mottling. The problem was made worse by the fact that the loss was in the form of returned paper from the mill’s customers – which was impacting its reputation as a reliable supplier, as well as its bottom line. Cont......
Putting innovation to work Since further plant upgrade simply wasn’t an option, the mill asked us to see if we could find an innovative, ‘smart’ solution to the problem. In mid-2009, we began collaborating and proposed running trials with our patented elastomer-based softtip coating blade – a potential solution that had already chalked up some documented successes in the area of paper mottle. A simple change to a soft-tipped blade is saving the mill hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, while reinforcing its reputation as a reliable supplier of high quality papers
Figure 3a: A conventional hard-tip blade ‘scalps’ high spots
Every BTG Duroblade Soft-tip is precision-engineered to meet the exact requirements of each individual coater station, delivering high performance through a process of ‘micro-contouring’ that occurs under the blade tip. By slightly deforming at the point of highest specific pressure, the elastomer tip gives better coating coverage on the highest points of the fiber surface. This prevents the large, localized variations in coating thickness that can result in a mottled finish (see Figures 3a and 3b).
Figure 3b: BTG’s Duroblade® Soft-tip microcontours the paper surface
In addition, it’s important to remember that thick layers of liquid coating dry at a slower rate than thinner layers, creating a different stratification of pigments and adhesive particles. By aggressively scraping the paper surface, hard blades effectively create peaks and troughs, which result in variations in coating levels and ink receptivity – leading to mottle.
Figure 4: Dramatic improvement: samples of 170gsm paper, where the only difference was the type of blade used.
Dramatic savings – in money and reputation Eight months into the soft-tip blade trial, the mill had not received a single complaint from customers related to mottle. In monetary terms alone, that translated into savings of US$ 300,000 – not to mention reinstatement of the mill’s reputation as a quality manufacturer. In addition, the mill has been able to move from a speciallyformulated latex adhesive designed to counteract the chronic mottling with a standard coating latex, saving a further US$ 100,000.
The elastomer-based soft-tip blade is also delivering longer blade life, for fewer blade changes and less downtime. Talk to your BTG representative about how our teams can work with you to find innovative solutions to your production problems. With our expertise, extensive hands-on experience, and leading-edge products, the solution may be easier, and cheaper, than you think! For more information, visit www.btg.com or contact your local sales company.
RESPONSIBLE TANK CLEANING PULP & PAPER
OUR CONCEPT – RESPONSIBLE TANK CLEANING As leaders in the global supply of equipment which uses water and chemicals to clean tanks across a wide variety of industries we know some of the pressures facing the manufacture of pulp and paper. The large volumes of water consumed and effluent discharged requires an optimal approach to cleaning. At Scanjet Systems we call this responsible tank cleaning. This means we don’t just supply you with equipment to clean your tanks to the highest standard and in the shortest time, instead we take care to find a technical solution that will use the lowest volume of water and chemicals, that will enable maximum recycling of cleaning waters and that will release the lowest volume and concentration of effluent. We know how important it is for your process to be efficient and environmentally responsible and we appreciate water is a scarce resource. In our team we carry microbiologists, engineers and utilities specialists from the process industries who have the most experience in providing answers to your tank cleaning challenges. With offices based in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific we have additionally developed sales partners with specific pulp and paper industry expertise. Scanjet Systems is the global supplier but with locally placed partners .
Scanjet Systems holds the largest range of tank cleaning machines for pulp and paper applications. Decisions on whether to supply internal or external gearing, electric, mechanical or air driven, single or multi nozzle will depend on the specific vessel application. In all cases machine reliability is paramount to cope with the intensive environment. In this respect the Scanjet experience of supplying tens of thousands into the marine/shipping market instils confidence since this is a mobile industry which operates globally with few people on board.
SCANJET SYSTEMS BENEFITS REDUCING WATER USE REDUCING MICROBIOLOGICAL LEVELS IMPROVING RECYCLED PAPER PRODUCTION INCREASING PERSONNEL SAFETY
RELEVANT PRODUCTS SC 40RT
SC 15TW
SC 30T
The SC 40RT is a dual or four nozzle externally driven automated tank cleaning machine constructed of 316 stainless steel and other highly corrosion resistant materials. It employs a patented magnetic drive transmission thus reducing the need for costly seal replacements and potential failures when used in hazardous environments. The drive mechanism and other major components are external to the tank, resulting in easy maintenance and a high level of safety when the cleaning of hazadous products are required.
The SC 15TW is a 1.5� dual or four nozzle automated tank cleaning machine constructed of 316 stainless steel and other highly corrosion resistant materials. It has a fixed to moving gear ratio of 47 to 49 allowing it to produce a homogenous 360deg pattern that is superior to that of any other rotating jet head in it’s class. It is an integrated turbine class type of tank cleaning machine and employs an adjustable turbine and flow through gearbox. The adjustable turbine allows the rotation speed to be adjusted.
The SC 30T is a single nozzle mechanically programmable automated tank cleaning machine constructed of 316 stainless steel and other highly corrosion resistant materials. It allows the operator to wash the tank in a full 360deg mode or to set the nozzle angle to wash the tank within a particular section. It also employs a patented magnetic drive transmission. The drive mechanism and other major components are external to the tank, resulting in easy maintenance and a high level of safety.
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS Ethanol fermenters Crude oil storage tanks Gasoline storage tanks High density stock chest Large silos & dryers Over-the-road tankers & railcars Reactors Large Uni-Tanks
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS Road and Rail tanker cleaning Portable cleaning for contractors Fermenter tank cleaning Storage tank cleaning Wine storage tanks & fermenters Brewery storage tanks & fermenters
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS Ethanol fermenters Crude oil storage tanks Gasoline storage tanks High density stock chest Large silos & dryers Over-the-road tankers & railcars Reactors Large Uni-Tanks
www.scanjetsystems.com
“You need it, we deliver it.” Whatever you need, whether it’s a full scope of processes and products for the pulp, paper and power generation industries, millwide automation solutions or the support of a worldwide customer service network, our business is to deliver it. Expect results is our promise to help you reach your goals. www.metso.com/pulpandpaper
Invitation to the world’s leading Pulp & Paper event May 17–19 2011 Stockholm, Sweden
A Brand New Concept: The Magic Future of Pulp & Paper! he essence of the concept is simple but important – making it easier for people to meet. Gone are the separate exhibition halls and distant conference locations as well as conference fees. Instead we have, after listening to both exhibitors and visitors, chosen to focus on the following key words:
T
Time Efficiency Closeness to Customers Power to Influence The heart of the event will be the three squares in Hall A. The squares will hold all major conference activities and entertainment during the three-day-long event. The Magic Future Square in the middle features all the key note speakers, while the two smaller squares, East and West, will have more of a technical orientation, with shorter presentations running non-stop throughout the day. Want to become a Magic Future Event Partner with the possibility to influence what goes on at the squares? Exhibitors surrounding the Magic Future square will have direct access to the event’s biggest meeting area which guarantees unique visibility and closeness to customers and activities. You will also be a part of the
conference committee as well as the project group responsible for square design. Visibility in the overall marketing of the event is included. Slot-time is reserved for you at the Magic Future Square and at either or both of the smaller squares. Exhibitors located elsewhere in the Hall have the possibility of becoming Magic Future Event Partners if they book a Magic Future Event Package. As Event Partner East/West you will have one of the smaller squares next to your exhibiting space. Slot-time is reserved for you at either or both squares. We would like to invite all companies to take a more active role in maintaining the event SPCI the best meeting point in the global pulp & paper industry!
The Exhibitors Since the start back in 1968, thousands of companies have continually chosen SPCI as the most important forum to meet customers and exchanging know-how. SPCI 2011 provides you with first class business opportunities in an international environment and is a great source of inspiration for exhibitors and visitors alike. The world’s leading event in the pulp and paper industry guarantees that your products and services will get maximum exposure. We welcome suppliers to the pulp, paper, board, tissue and converting industries to exhibit within all relevant product categories. Thanks to the extended main hall at Stockholm International Fairs, the SPCI event will this time be concentrated to the one hall of a total 30,000 sqm (320 000 square feet).
Book submit your stand by ting today o your applicat ion rm bookin ake an on-line ga www.s t our website pcieve nt.com
The world´s leading Pulp & Paper Event • 13 587 visitors from 61 countries • 730 exhibitors (450 of them from 32 diffe • 293 exhibition stands
The Visitors According to our survey in 2008, executed by the Scandinavian Survey Group, an independent audit company, the visitors were unanimous; SPCI is considered the worlds leading event for the pulp and paper industry. • 34% of the visitors came from outside Sweden representing 61 countries, making it the most international event of its kind worldwide. • 64% of the visitors consider SPCI the leading pulp and paper trade show in the world • 58% of the visitors had current purchasing needs and planned to place an order within 12 months • 62% of the visitors answered that they had major influence over purchasing decisions
t
erent countries outside Sweden) Official results SPCI 2008
Since the first show back in 1968, SPCI gathers visitors from around the globe. You will meet a wide range of target groups at SPCI 2011, including CEOs and mill managers from mill-wide operations, as well as specialists and managers in various sectors: Purchasing managers, Technical managers, Production managers, Maintenance managers, Environment managers, Marketing managers, Operators, Transport and logistics managers etc. The event will be extensively marketed to the pulp and paper industry worldwide by organisers, agents, media partners, trade press and co-operating partners.
Magic Future Event Partner
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Member of the International Conference Program Committee and the Conference Area Project Group Presentation slots – One slot at the Magic Future Square (25 min + 5 min), one slot at the West Square (15min + 5 min) and one slot at the East Square (15 min + 5 min) in total. Full page advertisement - Event Magazine/Guide Editorial coverage - Event Magazine/Guide
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Leif Brodén, CEO Södra
Company logotype in all Magic Future Square marketing material; advertisements, newsletters, program etc. Possibility to buy a maximum of 20 tickets to the VIP-event at the Vasa Museum on Wednesday May 18, 2011.
The SPCI event is a very important place where we gather network and technology information.
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25 complimentary tickets to the City of Stockholm official reception in the City Hall on Tuesday May 17, 2011. Eurosize posters -signage – along the pedestrian walk from train station, by the West entrance and at parking areas DropPapers/Signage – by the East and West entrances
Jan Johansson CEO SCA
DropPapers/Signage – At the venue when entering the exhibition hall Stand space marked with company logotype on all hall layout situation plans Wireless Internet access in stand
Half page advertisement - Event Magazine/Guide
The openness has always been great valued in our industry. The new SPCI forum will walk the talk and Billerud will share our new innovations with you from the Magic square - so be there!
Company logotype in Conference Programme and on event website
Per Lindberg, CEO Billerud
Price: SEK 198.000
East or West Event Partner11-
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Take this opportunity to learn and network. Leadership ability is crucial! Looking forward to give a presentation on the subject at the Magic-Paper roll.
Presentation slots – one slot at West or East square (15 min + 5 min) per day
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Eurosize posters -signage – along the pedestrian walk from train station, by the Western entrance at parking areas DropPapers/Signage - At the venue when entering the exhibition hall Stand space marked with company logotype on all hall layout situation plans Wireless Internet access in stand
Price: SEK 49.000 For further information about these packages, please contact: Marina Asp, CEO SPCI, + 46 8 783 84 00 marina.asp@spci.se Patrik Löwstedt, Exhibition Manager Adforum, + 46 8 749 43 61 patrik.lowstedt@adforumworld.com
The new SPCI event opens up for new possibilities. The idea with an open forum for conference will move the traditional concept with exhibition and conference to a totally new and fresh level.
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Magnus Hall, CEO Holmen
General Information Dates and Venue May 17-19, 2011 Stockholm International Fairs Opening hours Tuesday – Thursday 09.00-17.00 Registration fee, Stand rental and Event partner packages Registration fee: SEK 4,500 Stand rental: SEK 1,960/sqm Event partner packages: Optional (see previous pages) VAT will be added when applicable Exhibitor Service All exhibitors are supplied with a special Service Kit with detailed information and order forms for all available technical services.
International Representatives Asia (except Greater China) Mr Tan Kay Hui Tel: +65 9790 6090 Fax: +65 6280 2823 E-mail: tankayhui@tankayhuimedia.com Germany, Austria and Switzerland Mrs Annelie Bäck-Heuser Bäck+Partner Marketing Tel: +49-202-283 81 26 Fax: +49-202-283 81 27
Fair Promotion SPCI 2011 will be extensively promoted to buyers all over the world. Advertisements and international press contacts will promote the event. Members of key national and international target groups will get personal invitations.
E-mail: Baeck-Partner@t-online.de
Contact Information
E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc. Beijing
The Event The Swedish Association of Pulp and Paper Engineers (SPCI) Box 5515, SE-114 85 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: +46 8 783 84 00, Fax: +46 8 661 73 44 www.spci.se
Tel: +86 10 8451 1832
• Mrs Marina Asp, Executive Director Phone +46 8 783 84 86 marina.asp@spci.se • Ms Camilla Sinivaara, Event Manager Phone +46 8 783 82 54 camilla.sinivaara@spci.se The Exhibition Adforum AB SE-125 80 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: +46 8 749 97 31, Fax. +46 8 749 35 05 www.adforumworld.com • Mr Patrik Löwstedt, Exhibition Manager Phone: +46 8 749 43 61 patrik.lowstedt@adforumworld.com • Mrs Kristin McKechnie, Exhibition Marketing Coordinator Phone: + 46 8 749 97 33 kristin.mckechnie@adforumworld.com Adforum Helsinki office, Finland • Mr Marcus Bergström, Sales Phone: +358 9 150 9401 marcus.bergstrom@adforumworld.com
Greater China Mrs Grace Mak
Fax: +86 10 8451 1829 E-mail: Grace.Mak@gmail.com Italy Mrs Carla Salaris Lighthouse S.r.l. Tel: +39 02 54189640 Fax: +39 02 54121746 E-mail: stofair@lighthouse-it.com Spain/Portugal Mr Eduardo Teixeira-Alves Tel/fax: +34 96 3122197 E-mail: eduardo.teixeira@prored.es South America Mrs Selma Regina Ugolini go.va Tel: +5511 2218-0005/0422 Mobile: +5511 9904-5350 E-mail: selma@gova.com.br USA Mr Björn Bieneck Bieneck International Tel: +1 (540) 372-9800 Fax: +1 (540) 372-1414 E-mail: pulpandpapershows@exhibitpro.com
Organised by:
The Swedish Association of Pulp and Paper Engineers (SPCI) Adforum Stockholm International Fairs
Visit our website at www.spcievent.com
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