Volume 3, Number 2
May 1990

Letters

To the Editor:

In the early eighties when I moved from Germany to the United States and invested heavily in a ground calcium carbonate operation on the West Coast, I put all my assets and financial livelihood on the line. Without the move of the United States' paper industry to alkaline papermaking, my endeavor would have been a complete failure. Therefore, I think that I have some experience in this area and I an forecasting that the United States' paper industry will use as much ground calcium carbonate as PCC within the next five years.

I was very pleased when I found the enclosed article in the April issue of the American Papermaker ["Many Mills Stake their Future on Alkaline Paper" by Steve Walden], where a major and very knowledgeable chemical supplier of the paper industry clearly states, "Each type of carbonate has different performance characteristics. To achieve maximum efficiency, many mills are using mixed filler system.??

We have just finished implementing some ground calcium, carbonate as wet-end filler at a mill which started with PCC only at the alkaline conversion. As soon as the ground carbonate hit the screen the dry line jumped towards the head box and the machine speed could be increased by 3.3%. Due to mechanical limitations the machine could not run any faster. But at the same time, the steam usage could be reduced. This is just one additional benefit besides increased strength, better sizing, decreased dye cost, better color stability, etc.

To the Editor:

I certainly enjoyed reading the most recent issue of Alkaline Paper Advocate. However, I did recognize one item that was missing relative to new alkaline conversions.

In October of last year, we converted our No. 3 machine at our Flambeau mill to alkaline, and since then have converted No. 2, which will represent approximately 325 tons a day of additional alkaline products available to the market.

As a result, Cross Pointe has been able to announce new White Bright Glacier Opaque, as well as a companion book grade-Park Falls book. This week [as of April 31 we will be announcing a new Odyssey book with total alkaline chemistry and a complete range of bulk from a smooth finish to an antique to the book publishing industry. This is achieved without ground wood or without CTMP, which is relatively, unique in the industry.

I would also like to mention relative to the mill locations that the correct reference should be Cross Pointe Paper Corporation, Miami Mill and Flambeau Mill.