Offering Description

  •  Identification of market needs and MPVs
  •  Technology and IP Landscaping
  •  New product/process portrait development
  •  Enabling technologies identification
  •  IP evaluation and protection

Background

  • Although the paper industry has substantially improved its technology in the face of increasingly stringent environmental requirements, 99% of paper is still made using a water-laid process
  • When paper is volume-produced using water-laid technology, the process is extremely water- and energy-intensive; the water-paper slurry is more than 99% water (500-1,000 kg of water/kg of dry paper), and the dryers consume large amounts of energy. Reducing water and energy consumption of the papermaking process would decrease capital and operating costs substantially.
  • Project goal: It is necessary to forecast a new generation of paper production technology that can produce paper of the same quality with a minimal amount of water

Radical Trimming

Problem Solving

  • The Problem:
    • How to distribute fibers without water?
  • Physical contradiction:
    • It is necessary to use large amount of water to distribute cellulose fibers effectively, but it is necessary to have no water to eliminate paper drying and thus significantly reduce energy consumption
  • Method of resolving:
    • Satisfying contradictory requirements
  • Inventive Principle:
    • Changing of physical stage (phase transition)
  • Idea of solution:
    • Distribute cellulose fibers with steam => large amount of water is not necessary
    • Small amount of condensing water will bind cellulose fibers

Solution: Low Moist Paper Making Process

Business Impact

  • Capital cost reduction – 28%
  • Water consumption reduction – 500 times. New process has much better sustainability - no need for water recycling
  • Energy consumption reduction – 2.5 times
  • Design and technology components are protected by several international patents