Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

The harvest of natural resources is the backbone of a thriving Canadian economy. Without a viable pulp and paper industry, it is not possible to have a viable forestry industry. Traditionally, BC and Canada's pulp and paper sector targeted communications papers in the US market. The recent economic downturn, coupled with disruptive technologies for paperless communication, has resulted in a 40% reduction in newsprint and communication paper consumption. This turning point means that the forest industry's survival depends on Canada's ability to develop innovative new uses for high quality Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) fibres. The pulp sector is actively developing new markets around the world for NBSK fibre in communication papers, packaging, hygiene products, and novel applications. This pulp is often used to enhance the strength of paper products containing mechanical pulps or short, fast-growing fibres from southern climates. A key operation in the use of NBSK by papermakers is refining-a mechanical treatment just prior to papermaking. When done correctly, pulp quality is greatly enhanced; when done poorly, pulp quality may remain undeveloped. It is therefore imperative that papermakers be provided with the key knowledge and guidelines on how to best refine NBSK pulps, alone, or when mixed with short fibres. Unfortunately, knowledge in this field is limited in some key aspects. Similarly lacking is knowledge on how NBSK reinforces strength of pulp mixtures. The objective of this research is to fill these critical gaps in knowledge.