Features Research & Innovation
What’s New… (May 01, 2005)

PULP

BIM FORMS PULP TEAM

FINLAND — BIM, a supplier of advanced surface treatment to the pulp and paper industry has assembled a team that will specifically target pulp mills. The BIM Pulp Team will have a worldwide scope and will concentrate on chemical pulp.

CHEMICALS

CHEMICAL PRICES TAKE A HIKE

WILMINGTON, DE — Companies Hercules, Kemira and Ciba have all implemented price hikes for their paper chemicals. Ciba Specialty Chemicals announced increases and fixed cost per tonne agreements up to 15%, effective as of April 1st, or as contracts permit. Kemira Chemicals implemented 10-15% price hikes for all its product lines, with polymer products, defoamers containing silicone and oil, and acrylic acid based products subject to a greater impact. The pulp and paper division of Hercules is upping the ante effective immediately, and is initiating price increases of up to 15% for the majority of its process and functional chemical products. A higher percent increase may be applied to some products due to the volatility of raw material.

STICKIES

VERITY IA DEALS WITH STICKIE SITUATIONS

International Verity IA Paper & Print Quality is a tool that can be used to measure stickies, count dirt, measure paper formation, print mottle, dot sharpness and dot quality. When supplied as a complete system, the image analysis method can size and categorize stickies, dirt, and any visible paper or pulp contaminant. It can also separate, classify and report fibre-shives, hairy-stickies and stickies, works on both brown and white stock.

PRODUCT

IMERYS ADDS TO COATING CLAY LINE

Imerys has introduced a new product to its line of Contour coating clays. The new “fine platy pigment” is a kaolin that provides synergy with carbonates, combining the benefits of platy and fine glossing clays. It also works to achieve glossing, coverage, brightness, strength and high print quality in coated graphic paper and packaging markets.

JOINT VENTURE

BLACK CLAWSON ACQUIRES HORNE LINE

Black Clawson Ltd. has bought the intellectual assets of J.H. Horne and Sons Company. Black Clawson contends the purchase will create an extensive line of formers for the cylinder board industry and the joint venture will be ready to meet any and all of a papermill’s requirements.

AGREEMENT

MHI AND PAPERCHINE COLLABORATE

ROCKTON, IL — The paper machinery division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America and Paperchine Inc. are combining their resources. The agreement will see Paperchine become the exclusive agent for all MHI’s paper machinery equipment in North America, while MHI will continue to support the joint projects. The alliance will form the largest paper machinery service group in North America.

CHEMICALS

CIBA OPENS NEW OFFICE

Ciba Chemicals has opened a water and paper chemical heaquarters operation in Virginia. The business is based in Suffolk, which the company feels to be a strategic location for its water and paper operations in the NAFTA region.