An Innovative Process to Manufacture Calcium Carbonate by the Causticizing Process in a Kraft Pulp Mill, PaperCon '09 Conference

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Precipitated calcium carbonate is produced as a by-product in the causticizing process of the kraft pulping process. Nippon Paper Industries, co.,ltd started to use this Calcium Carbonate by the Causticizing process (CCC) as filler and coating pigment more than 25 years ago. The technology to use this CCC as paper materials has been established thorough the research and the technical development for many years. By using this CCC as filler and coating pigment in a paper, lime kiln operation can be reduced or eliminated, resulting in the reduction of fuel oil consumption for the calcination of calcium carbonate. The benefit of this reduction is significantly increased with increased oil price. Furthermore, non-process elements problem in the lime cycle can be solved by using this CCC.

We have developed the morphology control technology of CCC. In our research and development, the precipitation of aragonite CCC was investigated at a laboratory scale. Then, the scale-up trials were carried out at a pilot and a mill scale plant. Based on these fundamental research and the results of the scale-up trials, the industrial process to manufacture aragonite CCC has been established. This aragonite CCC thus produced at the mill scale plant shows sufficient quality as filler and coating pigment.