NSERC Funding for Pulp and Paper Research

Posted January 20, 1997


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 97-01-06-ENG

Saskatoon, SK, January 20, 1997 -- A researcher in the University of
Saskatchewan's chemical engineering department has recently received
approval from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada (NSERC) to finance a research project which will help to retain
Canada's market share in the world pulp and paper industry.

Professor Nabil Esmail will work with the Pulp and Paper Institute of
Canada (Paprican) to develop technology that will enable existing
machinery to produce coated paper. "The new technology will provide a
competitive advantage to Paprican's maintaining m ember companies," said
Dr. Ivan Pikulik, Director of Papermaking Division, Paprican.

"Increasing volumes of groundwood printing paper are being upgraded to
more specialized grades for advertising inserts and other color printing
requirements," said Professor Esmail. "A technique that will allow the
application of coatings at the size pre ss when the web is wet could
revitalize the use of the Canadian paper machines that have no on-machine
coating capability."

At present only 15% of all produced paper is coated, however it is
estimated that over the next decade almost all produced paper will undergo
some level of surface treatment.

Over 12 million tons of newsprint and uncoated mechanical pulp paper are
produced annually in Canada - about 30% of world production. Many towns
in Canada depend entirely on a newsprint mill. In recent years some news
machines have been shut down due to their inability to modernize. Improved
surface application quality is essential to maintain those small to
midsize mills.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Nabil Esmail
Chemical Engineering
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-4761
e-mail: esmail@engr.usask.ca