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A research group at Kemira has developed unique solutions
to make it easier to bleach wood pulp with oxygen-based chemicals.
The pioneering innovation is important not only for the environment
but also for the savings that can be expected.
Kemira has been developing for almost ten years an environment-friendly
solution to replace the slowly degradable chelating agents
now used in bleaching pulp and in plant nutrients. The result
of the work has been new molecules and a new series of products.
The working party that took part in the chelating agent project
at Kemira won the Chemical Industry's Innovation Award for
2003. A genuine alternative can be expected from the innovation:
nitrogen and waste water emissions by the forest industry
will be reduced, and the production cost savings for the pulp
and paper industry may be considerable.
Unique properties
The manganese and iron in wood pulp are harmful when chemical
pulp is bleached with oxygen chemicals. The Kemira research
group succeeded in developing new molecules with unique properties
to bind these metals.
The new compounds disperse better than the present chelating
agents in natural waterways and include only a third of the
amount of the nitrogen in the present agents. Success was
also achieved in making the production methods for the new
compounds environment friendly.
Other applications studied in the research work included
the use of the new compounds in plant nutrients. Kemira is
also designing a production process for the new products.
As an international chemicals company, Kemira offers services
to customers in the pulp and paper industry, water treatment
sector and in the paint business.
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The Chemical Industry's Innovation Award is made every
year in recognition of a major usable innovation in
the chemicals sector. The award is worth 10,000 euros.
In making its decision for 2003 the scientific committee
of the chemicals industry paid attention to the unique
nature of the results of Kemira's product development
project.
Two molecule patents have been awarded to the research
group. Also on the way are 14 patents for applications,
and an innovation is close to the commercialization
stage. Widespread cooperation with a university network
was also used to good effect in the project.
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>> www.kemira.com
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