Sappi FAQ Dissolving wood pulp

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Dissolving wood pulp
At a glance
A sustainably renewable natural fibre to meet the world’s needs…
More than
80%
of global DWP
production is used to produce
viscose rayon fibre
Cellulosic fibres
have a soft
natural feel,
excellent breathing properties
and offer high levels of
absorbency
Unlike synthetic fabrics derived
from non-renewable fossil fuels,
cellulosic fabrics
breathe like natural
fibres, and are made from
sustainably harvested
renewable timber
We can
produce
1.34
Demand for cellulose fibres is expected to exceed the
available supply by 3.3 million tons in the year 20201
What is dissolving wood pulp (DWP)?
In simple terms, DWP (also known as specialised cellulose) is cellulose pulp
(plant material) that has been chemically treated and is suitable for subsequent
chemical conversion into a range of products. Cellulose is the most common
organic compound on earth and is the structural component of the primary cell
wall of green plants.
Where does Sappi produce DWP?
We produce DWP at three mills on two continents:
South Africa
Saiccor Mill 800,000 tons per annum (tpa) capacity
Ngodwana Mill 210,000tpa capacity
North America
Cloquet Mill 330,000tpa capacity.
million tpa
of DWP, which is 20%
of the world’s
production capacity
The combined 1.34 million tpa capacity represents 20% of the world’s
production capacity. All three of our mills currently fall within the lowest tenth of
competitor cost curves published by independent consultancies.
Acquired by Sappi in 1989, Saiccor Mill has been manufacturing DWP since 1955.
Global DWP consumption
5.8
6.9
3.3
forecast 2014
forecast 2020
shortfall What is DWP made from?
million tpa
million tpa
million tpa
Saiccor Mill
800,000tpa
Ngodwana Mill
210,000tpa
In South Africa, both Saiccor and Ngodwana Mills use hardwood – eucalyptus
woodfibre sourced from plantations in close proximity to the mill. Cloquet Mill
uses mixed northern hardwoods, primarily aspen (approximately 65%) and
maple (35%), also sourced locally.
Is all DWP the same?
No, DWP can be tailored to best suit a given application. The most commonly
adjusted property is pulp purity which depends on customer requirements.
What is DWP used for?
Most of our DWP production is used to produce fashion and decorating textiles:
• Specialised cellulose pulps with 91-92% cellulose content are used mostly
to make textiles (like rayon) and cellophane
• The 96% cellulose content pulps are used to make rayon yarn for industrial
products such as the cord used in tyres, rayon staple for high-quality
fabrics, and various acetate and other speciality products.
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1 www.lenzing.com
Copyright © September 2014 Sappi Limited. All rights reserved.
2012
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Why would population growth and increased
affluence in Asia cause DWP demand growth?
What else can DWP be used for?
Although more than 80% of the world’s DWP is converted
to viscose rayon fibre, there are many other applications in
which DWP is used. In addition to textiles, DWP is also
used for cigarette filters, fillings in fat-free yoghurt, powder
in tablets and in washing powders, cellophane wrap and
the binding agent in paints that makes it stick to walls, as
well as the basic materials for lipsticks.
What is the primary market for Sappi’s DWP?
Our customers include Lenzing (Austria), the Aditya Birla
Group (India) and major VSF producers in China. The bulk
of our DWP production is sold into the Asian market for use
in fashion and decorating textiles, including:
• Viscose staple fibres (VSF) or rayon
• Solvent spun fibres (lyocell)
• Viscose filament yarns.
The Asian middle class population is likely to grow to 2.7
billion by 2030 (currently 1.9 billion). Asian consumers are
likely to spend US$32 trillion/year by 2030, accounting for
43% of total global consumption, according to an Asian
Development Bank report. These trends are important to
us because the bulk of our DWP is sold into Asian
markets. Increasing affluence and population growth will
accelerate the need for more comfortable clothing.
How do fabrics, made from DWP compare to
other fabrics?
Polyester, which comprises the bulk of all textile materials
worldwide, is petroleum based and has a plastic-like feel,
which makes it uncomfortable to wear as it does not wick
moisture away from the skin. Cellulosic fabrics and other
natural fibres like cotton and wool do — they breathe.
However, there are only a few alternative natural fibres
suitable for fabric production; the two key fibres are:
What advantages do cellulosic fibres offer?
Cellulosic fibres, like VSF, have a soft, natural feel, excellent
breathing properties and offer high levels of absorbency.
Their absorbent capacity makes cellulosic fibres suitable
for non-woven applications in the healthcare, industrial and
disposable product markets. VSF can be blended with all
synthetic and natural fibres to produce value-added yarns.
Is there growth in the DWP market?
According to RISI, the leading information provider for the
global forest products industry, global DWP consumption
grew 9% in 2012 to 5.8 million tons. RISI predicts 2014
global DWP consumption at 6.9 million tons. Demand for
cellulose fibres is expected to exceed the available
supply by 3.3 million tons in 2020.
What is Sappi’s response to the growing demand
for DWP?
Our 800,000tpa Saiccor Mill is the world’s largest producer
of DWP. In 2013, we added 540,000tpa capacity:
• 330,000tpa at our Cloquet Mill in the USA
• 210,000tpa at our Ngodwana Mill in South Africa.
Our ability to now produce 1.3 million tons per annum will
enable us to supply more customers from a more diverse
production process base and adds to our flexibility in
serving global markets.
Why is demand for DWP growing?
Wool Global wool production capacity is limited; only
about one-million tons per annum.
Cotton At current rates of population growth, by 2030,
demand for food will increase by 43%. Therefore, less
arable land will be available to grow cotton. Cotton
plantations often have to compete with agricultural activities
or housing developments. In contrast, trees (which we use
to produce DWP), can be planted in locations that do not
compete with food-planting or building-development
locations. Uncertain weather often results in cotton crop
failures. Trees are less sensitive.
What sustainability and environmental
advantages does DWP offer?
DWP is produced from woodfibre — a renewable,
biodegradable resource. The sustainably managed
plantations and forests from which we source the
woodfibre used for our DWP are more environmentally
friendly than cotton plantations.
Water Unlike cotton, trees depend solely on rainwater,
requiring significantly less water than cotton production.
Pesticides Plantations and forests are not sprayed with
any pesticides. It is estimated that although cotton is
planted on only 2.4% of the planet’s arable land, it accounts
for 24% of all insecticides and 11% of global pesticides
used.
Yield per hectare Trees yield 2-3 times as much fibre as
cotton.
There are a number of reasons why DWP demand is
expected to continue growing:
• Increasing population growth and affluence in Asia
• Fabrics made from DWP on a par with natural fabrics
• Sustainability and environmental considerations
2
2
Synthetics In contrast to our DWP, synthetic fibres, like
polyester are derived from fossil fuel, a finite resource.
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The expansion project at our Ngodwana Mill involved the
installation of bark chippers to produce biomass; replacing
coal as a fuel source. Upgrading the recovery boiler
increased the energy efficiency of the mill which now sells
20-30MW of excess electricity to Eskom.
At Saiccor Mill, Project Buyisa, a R120 million upgrade to
increase the mill’s energy self-sufficiency by about 10% is
under way. This involves the installation of sulphite-liquor
recovery boilers to recover black liquor, a by-product of the
pulping process, which will be used as a biofuel for power
generation.
Where does the timber Sappi uses to make DWP
come from?
Our South African mills use woodfibre that is FSC™
-certified. Our Cloquet Miill uses woodfibre that is FSC™
and/or SFI ® -certified. This gives our customers the
assurance that our products are manufactured from legally
logged timber in accordance with sound environmental
practices.
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Are there any environmental benefits associated
with Sappi’s DWP capacity increase?
E
E
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Does Sappi invest in forestry and production
process research and development?
We support Research and Development facilities on three
continents, and invested US$29.5 million in 2013.
Ongoing investments in forestry research, at our Shaw
Forestry Research Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, improves
our understanding of the effects of wood properties on our
production processes, leading to continuous improvements
in these processes and the performance of our products.
R&D for pulping is centred in Southern Africa:
• At the Sappi Technology Centre in Pretoria, we
undertake ongoing research into cellulose properties
and process technology improvements.
• At our Technical Centre of Excellence, at Saiccor
Mill, we focus on product development to explore
product options, expand our value-added product
range and meet the individual needs of our global
customers.
At Cloquet Mill, we have expanded the technical support
for the pulp business and added DWP quality testing
laboratory facilities and staff at the mill.
What is the difference between the regular wood pulp and DWP pulping processes?
Although DWP and paper pulp are both derived from the
same renewable raw material (plant fibre, usually wood),
DWP and regular wood pulp, used in making paper and
board, are two very different pulps.
Although there are many similarities in the manufacturing
processes, there are some technical differences. At the
start, the DWP pulping process is the same as the regular
wood pulp pulping process. Wood chips are cooked under
pressure at 130-180°C for several hours. The resulting
unwashed pulp is screened to remove large fragments,
knots, dirt and other debris before being used to produce
paper. Read more about the regular pulping process, also
known as kraft pulping; in the FAQ Biofuels.
To create DWP, regular wood pulp is further processed with
various salts of sulphurous acid. This sulphite process
extracts lignin (the ‘glue’ that binds wood fibres together)
from the wood pulp and removes hemicellulose (a weaker
polysaccharide) from within the cells.
The sulphite process yields DWP pulp with a higher cellulose
content than regular wood pulp, usually 91-96%. DWP has
a high level of brightness and a uniform molecular weight
distribution. DWP pulp is also called alpha pulp because it
is highly refined. DWP’s higher purity yields less pulp per
given volume of timber than regular wood pulp. Whereas
producing regular paper grade pulp requires 4m3 of wood
chips to produce 1m 3 of wood pulp, dissolving pulps
require 5-6m3.
Pulping processes: DWP and regular wood pulp
Regular wood pulp is used to make paper
Debarking
Screening
Digester
Chipping
Document no SCA-27
Rejects
3
3
Revision no 02 Revision date 01 October 2014
Taking regular wood pulp through the sulphite process
removes lignin and hemicellulose; yielding high
brightness DWP with a uniform molecular weight;
cellulose content usually 91-96%.
Sulphite process
Pulp drying
DWP sheets and reels
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