6 INDUSTRY NEWS


Mondi and TU Graz to study the porosity of paper


organisms – travel through it will be the subject of a research project backed by Mondi and the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) in Austria. It’s the third time that the partners have been involved in scientific cooperation. Mondi is the corporate partner and sponsor of the Christian Doppler Laboratory for the project called ‘Mass Transport through Paper’. The findings are expected to have practical applications for Mondi packaging and paper, for example for food packaging. Laboratory head Karin Zojer


T


explains: “We want to understand the special pore structure of paper and be able to explain its influence on the transport of diverse types of particles through it. Only with this knowledge can the porosity


he porosity of paper, and how particles – such as gases, compressible liquids and micro-


Leo Arpa, head of R&D paper at Mondi (left), with TU Graz laboratory head Karin Zojer


of paper be swiftly and optimally adapted to the desired packaging application.” Mondi has previously worked twice with TU Graz: the first that ran from 2007 to 2014 and researched Surface Chemical and Physical Fundamentals of Paper Strength, and one that started in January 2016 which is currently studying fibre swelling and paper performance.


Leo Arpa, head of R&D paper


at Mondi, commented at the opening ceremony: “Our experience with our two previous Christian Doppler laboratory partnerships has shown the clear benefits of these unique scientific collaborations. Combining the knowledge of the Mondi laboratories with the expertise of TU Graz scientists helps us increase the efficiency and


performance of our packaging and paper products. This enhances the state of research and benefits our customers by adding value to their product packaging or materials and thus enhancing their own customers’ experience.” This latest research partnership will microscopically investigate the pore structure of paper to develop mathematical models that will aid the scientific investigation of various transport processes through paper. The aim is to predict how the pore structure determines individual transport processes through paper. This research has implications


for a number of commercial applications, including how ink behaves in the pore structure of paper during printing, the ventilation processes when filling paper sacks with bulk materials, and the reciprocal effects between packaging and packaged goods, especially food.


UK paper mills continue to cut carbon emissions


The volume of carbon dioxide emitted by paper mills in the UK per tonne of product has been cut by a third in the past ten years.


The figures emerged following the publication by the European Union of 2017 site emissions of fossil carbon for energy and industrial sites. Actual emissions showed a


slight overall increase of 1.1 per cent, but production increased by 4.8 per cent over the same period. Andrew Large, director general of The Confederation of Paper


May/June 2018


Industries (CPI), says: “It’s heartening to see our members continuing to deliver carbon savings. However, there are real concerns that the Government does not appreciate the competitive damage caused by the recent threefold increases in the cost of carbon emission allowances. The cost of covering the shortfall in allocations will be around £5m this year – up from less than £2m last year. This is money that is no longer available for investment in growth and energy efficiency. In a statement the CPI said:


“Mills continue to focus on energy efficiency. Making paper is intrinsically energy intensive, and mills must deliver improved efficiency to remain competitive – energy inefficient mills simply cannot compete with more efficient competitors. All mills have energy managers and initiatives to identify and deliver energy savings through such measures as the use of new pumps, improved lighting, and better process controls. As well as these incremental changes, UK mills are also using highly efficient combined heat and power (CHP)


plants, making much of their own electricity, and also making productive use of heat normally wasted in conventional power generation. “Despite this continued


progress, mills are increasingly short of allocations, with around half a million (or 28 per cent) more required than supplied free of charge. Allowances are allocated to energy intensive installations to protect their competitive position compared to operators based outside the EU where carbon does not carry the same cost.”


Pulp Paper & Logistics


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