The Specialty Chemicals Innovation Award was won by the Asia Pacific business of Pulp & Paper Chemicals for Compozil®Fx, a state-of-the-art, complete, interactive wet end management system. The Compozil® Fx system optimizes retention, dewatering formation and fiber saving for large, high-speed paper-making machines. Technically, the system utilizes multiple flocculation mechanisms to obtain enhanced performance by optimizing the ratio of silica sol and anionic polyacrylamide to decouple the retention and dewatering processes in paper-making. This allows the formation of a so-called ‘system sweet spot’ at the same time allowing for maximization of the filler fixation and saving of virgin fiber. By optimizing the proportions of the multi-component Compozil® Fx system, brighter, stronger and more consistent paper can be achieved – with substantial improvements in productivity, economy and environmental impact. Since its launch in 2006, more than 50 paper-making machines, producing approximately 10 million tonnes of fine paper per annum globally have adopted the Compozil® Fx system. In Asia Pacific it has now become the leading system for fine paper-making; by the end of 2010, 8 out of 10 of the largest finepaper machines in Asia-Pacific and 5 out of 10 in the world will be using it. Compozil® Fx has established Eka as the leading and most innovative company in the high-speed production of fine paper-making, allowing the industry to become more efficient by reducing costs and improving productivity; and environmentally sustainable through the use of less chemicals, reduced effluent, lower energy consumption, and saving on the consumption of virgin fibers (approximately 200,000 tonnes per annum – equivalent to the saving of 5 million eucalyptus trees per annum). The RD&I Leadership Team chose this entry from the three Business Area Award winners to be the ultimate winner of the 2009 AkzoNobel RD&I Innovation Award. |