Nippon Paper Industries Co., Japan, reports that it will build a demonstration plant at Fuji Mill (Fuji-City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan) to drive the development of practical applications of MinerPa®, a set of new functional materials created by compounding particulate minerals and wood pulp (cellulose fibers) using the company's own unique pulp-modification technologies.

Utilizing papermaking technologies developed over the course of many years in the industry, particularly through a combination of pulp manufacturing techniques and unique mineral manufacturing knowhow, the company has developed a unique technology for densely bonding mineral particles onto the surface of cellulose fibers. Using this technology, the company has created MinerPa, a set of completely new functional materials consisting of wood pulp (cellulose fibers) covered with mineral particles. 

In addition to showing the functional properties derived from various mineral particles, MinerPa has the characteristics and advantages of wood pulp, so it can be processed into various types of materials such as wet pulp, sheets, boards (laminates), and powder. Using wood, which is a renewable resource, as the basic raw material, it has now become possible to provide MinerPa with a content ratio of up to 90% mineral particles, and there are high expectations for the development of practical applications in a wide range of fields.

The company has already begun the pre-marketing of MinerPa, since February 2017, with three different types of functions (deodorizing/antibacterial properties, flame retardancy, and X-ray radiation shielding effects). In addition, the company is now working to develop MinerPa technologies with new functionalities such as antiviral properties to meet customer demands.

The newly introducing MinerPa demonstration plant will start up in October 2018 with an annual production capacity of more than 450 metric tons. Nippon will continue to search for promising business areas and work for developing new applications.

Under the slogan "Shaping the future with trees," the company says it will continue contributing to better living and cultural progress in the future based on the technological capabilities developed through papermaking.

The company will be exhibiting MinerPa at its exhibition booth at Neo Functional Material 2018, which is scheduled to be held at Tokyo Big Sight Feb. 14-16, 2018.