Market Pulp: A Finished Product, 1999 Pulping Conference Proceedings

Dave Hillman

Market Pulp Consultant

Over 100 grades of Market Pulp are being produced in 27 countries. The pulp leaves the mill as a finished product in either sheeted bales, rolls, flash-dried bales and, on rare occasions, as wet-lap. Major grades include Bleached Northern & Southern Softwood and Hardwood, Diaper Fluff, Eucalyptus, CTMP, high alpha Specialty Pulps for acetate and viscose applications, as well as mercerized pulps.

With worldwide production approaching 34 million tons annually and Market Pulp considered a worldwide commodity, the industry must take steps to overcome several serious long-standing problems.

1. Most mill’s specifications (QALs) are based on tradition and simply being competitive with other major players without regard to satisfying their customers’ inherent requirements.

2. Little or no thought has been given to “target marketing” : matching a particular pulpmill’s “outstanding attribute” with selected customers’ “prime requisites” (or essential requirements).

3. Many Market Pulp mills continue to produce a one-size-fits-all commodity grade that is marketed broadly with equal effort and which attempts to be all things to all customers.

In this presentation we will examine Softwood’s particular attributes and distinguishing characteristics with emphasis on each species’ most appropriate end-use applications and both mixed and single species Hardwood’s aesthetic benefits. Selecting exactly the correct grades, blending them together and processing them properly will permit customers to achieve all the required strength, sheet properties and performance objectives.