"The connections may be invisible, but they are always there, buried just beneath the surface."
Dan Brown
New dimensions in papermaking
Microparticle technology, introduced by Eka Chemicals in the 1980s, has offered paperboard manufacturers new ways to increase quality and lower basis weights. Combined with interactive chemistry, this technology transforms paper chemists into the architects of paper – manufacturing new grades, optimizing the papermaking process and achieving environmental improvements.
At Eka Chemicals, we know that the wet end is the most efficient place to invest in chemistry because the potential gains in quality, flexibility, environmental performance and overall profitability are the greatest. No matter what grade is produced, the retention and performance of fiber are essential to success. For this reason, our micro- and nanoparticle technology is the foundation for a fully integrated wet end.
Profit from interaction
The real key to the next generation of benefits from the wet end lies in its ability to harmonize with other functions. Sizing chemistry, for example, can be reprogrammed to lower dosages and meet difficult performance specifications of printers or desktop publishing systems. Inferior mixes of furnish or a lack of brightness from alternative bleaching technologies can be given a boost at the wet end.
By understanding the interactions of wet-end additives with fiber, filler, and whitewater contaminants such as hard-water ions, dissolved salts, and wood resins, Eka Chemicals can manage the interactions of all wet-end chemicals.