Alternative Fibers Offer Product Opportunities for Tissue Makers

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Global sustainability megatrends are promoting the utilization of alternative fibers for multiple consumer goods, including hygiene tissue paper. While many tissue mills are encouraged by the prospect of using alternative fibers, several challenges and uncertainties have prevented their full-scale adoption. “Some of those uncertainties relate to the perceived versus real sustainability of these alternative fibers, their performance, and the capital investment required.” (research.cnr.ncsu.edu/safi/)

In 2021, North Carolina State University’s (NCSU) College of Natural Resources established the Sustainable and Alternative Fibers Initiative (SAFI), a research consortium that aims to study, develop and promote the utilization of alternative fibers for packaging, hygiene, textiles and other products. SAFI recently developed feasible conversion processes that produce non-wood fibers with promising performance for tissue paper making. These processes will be discussed at TAPPICon 2023, April 22-26 in Atlanta, GA, as part of the Tissue track.

Ramon Vero from NCSU will present Alternative Fibers for Hygiene Tissue Applications on Tuesday, April 25. Attendees will hear how alternative fibers exhibit significantly higher bulk and tensile index, while maintaining tissue properties (softness, caliper, bulk, and water absorbency) as compared to benchmark fibers such as Bleached Eucalyptus Kraft (BEK) and Nordic Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp.

Tissue Track

TAPPICon offers tissue professionals from across the supply chain the opportunity to meet and discuss issues, new advancements/technologies, and strategies for future success. The Conference includes a peer-reviewed, tissue program featuring a mix of technical content and business insights focusing on critical areas of the mill, including:

• Energy
• Cogeneration Benefits
• Energy Optimization of the Yankee Hood Air System
• Automating Tissue Waste
• Case Study for Increasing the Paired Efficiency of Tissue Machine
• Fibers
• Recycled Fibers Innovations Using High-Shear Homogenization
• Developing Strength from Recycled Fibers using Micro Fibrillation
• Utilizing Maintenance Outages to Improve Future Machine Alignment
• Alternative Fibers for Hygiene Tissue Applications
• Chemistry
• High-Performance Yankee Coating for Advanced Machines
• Wet Strength Alternative for Towels
• Vibration
• Next Generation Crepe Blade Vibration Monitoring Tool
• Best Practices: Vibration Monitoring of Pulp & Paper Production Assets
• Fiber Modification
• Sustainable Surface Modification Strategies
• Understanding of Quat Binding for Sustainable Hygiene Product Developments

TAPPICon 2023
With the theme, Three Rings of Success: Vision • Technology• Action, TAPPICon 2023 is designed to help mills identify technology solutions and strategies to stay competitive in the future. In addition to tissue, the Conference addresses critical topics affecting paper, recycled paperboard and reliability and maintenance. It also addresses topics affecting Women in Industry and Young Professionals.

For questions about TAPPICon 2023 or to register, please visit TAPPICon.org. Mills receive a special discount when they register their teams. For more information about the Tissue Track, contact Tissue Division Manager Hannah Peterson via email or by phone at 770-209-7243.

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