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Evonik opens support centre in Virginia for tissue makers

A tissue competency center has been created at Evonik’s technical service centre in Hopewell, Virginia. The competency center will provide global support for the tissue industry with applications development, technical service, training and product development for tissue, pulp and paper applications.

“Strong application and process expertise in selected markets linked with various test facilities and a global organization are the base for our success,” states Christian Edlinger, business director, Americas, for Evonik’s Interface & Performance business unit.

This unit sells softeners and debonders to the tissue and fluff pulp industry under the AROSURF® and VARISOFT® trade names as well as pulp and paper defoamer under the TEGOPREN® trade name. “Defoamers help our customers to reduce the foaming in their mills and thereby increasing the throughput whereas our softeners and debonders provide premium softness for a variety of tissues in the market. The lab can form sheets of paper and test them for various properties such as strength and absorbency,” explains Saji Meledathu, technology manager, Americas, Interface & Performance.

The competency center is an extension of the existing regional technical service lab. Among the equipment upgrades are a spray-on system, a new paper sheet former, and strength analyzers. The facility can also now measure absorbency for fluff pulp, which is used in diapers and tissues as well as softness of tissues.