Paper producers face continual cost increases, both in energy and raw material. Savings are a constant objective.

For many years now, Roquette has been working closely with the paper industry to improve production methodologies. By using creative starch technologies and developing new processes, Roquette aims to ensure effective innovation at each step of the sheet production.

To achieve this result, Roquette has developed a range of VECTOR^® bio-polymers that allow reduction of global costs while optimising the quality of the paper. VECTOR^® is a ready-to-use product, already having the approval of both FDA and BFR.

Roquette offers three separate areas of applications:

• tissue paper
• characteristics (Strength)
• ASA emulsion

Tissue paper

VECTOR^® is introduced to improve the characteristics allowing the adjustment of the refining level (softness-energy) and of pulp composition (long fibres/short fibres ratio).

As a consequence, the positive impact of these characteristics limits the amount of dust both on the machine and during the conversion.

Characteristics

Many VECTOR^® products are available in addition of wet-end cationic starches.

Either to limit colloids content (optimisation of the yield of the dry strength agent HI-CAT^®), either to balance ionicity of the wet-end system, in both cases the two components technique (VECTOR^® + HI-CAT^®) improve paper’s characteristics.

ASA

Normally ASA is emulsified with the grade of cationic starch which happens to be used by the mill for wet-end addition. Roquette has developed a new bio-polymer specifically for ASA emulsification.

By using VECTOR^® SC, the ratio of emulsion stabiliser to ASA can be reduced and sizing efficiency optimised to reduce costs.

VECTOR^® SC is supplied as a stable solution, eliminating the need for heat exchangers and problems with starch retrogradation.

Using VECTOR^® SC means that neither the sizing efficiency nor the paper strength needs to be compromised.