Hydrogen Peroxide Project Opening Ceremony is holding in HHH chemical
Shifting technology and papermaking requirements will alter many of the chemicals used by the pulp and paper industry in coming years. Higher-value specialty chemicals will increasingly play a major role in papermaking, while alternatives to chlorine will continue to impact the pulp bleaching area.
Demand in the U.S. for pulp and paper chemicals is expected to grow at 5.4%/yr through 2001, according to a study by The Freedonia Group, a market research firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Technological changes are driving this growth. In many cases, this trend will require papermakers to pursue more expensive chemical products. These technological changes come from legislative drives for alternatives to chlorine in pulp bleaching, use of recycled fiber in papermaking, and general environmental concerns, such as wastewater recovery.
As legislation tightened around chlorine use over the past decade, the pulp and paper industry shifted toward new methods of pulp bleaching. So far, chlorine dioxide, which is produced from sodium chlorate, has reaped the largest benefit as a replacement of conventional chlorine in bleaching. Increasingly, chlorine dioxide, however, is running against strong competition from oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and ozone pulp-bleaching processes. Still, sodium chlorate accounts for 41% of pulp bleaching chemical volume.
Each of these methods provides unique benefits. Ozone, for example, has gained ground because it can help lower the overall amount of bleaching chemicals needed and reduce both costs and the amount of wastewater generated. Overall, demand for bleaching chemicals will grow 6.0%/yr through 2001, according to Freedonia.
Papermaking chemicals also are affected by changing technologies. Some typical chemicals used in papermaking include titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, clays, starches, aluminum sulfate, and talc. These and many other chemicals are used as fillers, coatings, strengtheners, and whiteners.
Increased use of recycled materials in papermaking will boost the use of fillers because recycled fiber is weaker and shorter. Also, the shift from acid to alkaline papermaking will continue to benefit certain chemicals.
Overall, papermaking chemicals will grow 5.1%/yr through 2001, according to Freedonia. Clays and titanium dioxide will account for the largest share, making up half the total volume used. But, cost benefits and performance advantages will boost calcium carbonate demand more quickly.
Some chemicals will show only modest growth. "Aluminum sulfate, which is used for setting acid rosin size, should show growth around 2%-3%/yr," says Karla Doremus Tranfield, marketing manager at General Chemical. "There had been a fall off in aluminum sulfate use in the alkaline papermaking environment, but it is regaining some ground."
The increasing use of more specialized chemicals is catapulting demand for some pulp and paper specialty chemicals. "Polyaluminum chloride (PAC) is used for setting rosin size in the neutral pH range. It also helps in drainage and retention on papermaking machines," says Tranfield. Demand for PAC is growing at 20%-25%/yr. "There is a lot of interest because it helps machines run cleaner and is flexible enough to work in both neutral and alkaline ranges," Tranfield says.
Increased use of pulping and deinking chemicals will result from increased use of recycled paper fiber, because recycled materials need to have dyes, inks, and contaminants removed. Increased recycling will also boost demand for specialty additives. Wet-strength resins and sizes, which enhance paper strength and printability, and biocides and chelating agents, which remove contaminants from the final product, will all benefit from increasing use of recycled fiber
