Interrelation between the Paper and Plastics Industries - ACS

14 Interrelation between the Paper and Plastics Industries

Downloaded by UNIV OF LEEDS on October 18, 2016 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: June 1, 1977 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1977-0049.ch014

VLADIMIR M. WOLPERT Wolpert & Jones (Studies) Ltd., London, England

The growing symbiosis between the forest-based industry and the chemical industry is of benefit to both industries, and this trend is bound to continue at an accelerated rate, as there are still many not utilized possibilities of extending the cooperation between these two industries. Next to co-operation there is also a growing competition between these two industries, as synthetic polymer products have been penetrating some markets of the pulp/paper industry, and I will try to evaluate whether this trend is to continue or whether it will be reversed. At present, the chemical industry (of which the plastics industry is an integral part) is a major supplier of many products to various sectors of the forest-based industry in the manufacture of products, the functional properties of which could not be achieved without these chemicals, including synthetic polymers. In fact, the pulp/paper industry has gradually developed from a purely mechanical to a mechanical cum chemical industry. Increasing tonnages of synthetic polymers are being used before, during, and after the actual papermaking process. The forest-based industry (of which the paper industry is an important integral part) in addition to supplying packaging materials to the chemical industry, has been supplying the chemical industry with crude tall oil, turpentine, extractive products isolated during the kraft pulp process, plus products from pine trees and stumps, amounting to about 500,000 tpa. in the United States. In addition, lignosulphonates have been finding a growing number of applications, like dispersants, oilwell drilling additives, emulsifiers, etc. Even i f the sulphite pulping process accounts for a comparatively small share of the total chemical pulp production (in the U.S.A. about 10%), the potential of making yeast, proteins and other high-valued products from effluents is not to be underestimated. Reference is made to the production of about 100,000 tpa. of Masonex, a hemicellulose extract, derived from wood and f

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Arthur; Textile and Paper Chemistry and Technology ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1977.


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and c o n t a i n i n g pentose and hexose sugars, which i s used f o r c a t t l e f e e d i n g i n the United S t a t e s . There i s room f o r much l a r g e r q u a n t i t i e s of crude chemicals to be s u p p l i e d by the forest-based i n d u s t r y to the chemical i n d u s t r y f o r f u r t h e r processing. The question, however, i s who w i l l c a r r y out the necessary R & D work to achieve t h i s aim. I t i s s i g n i f i c a n t that the pulp/paper i n d u s t r y spends l e s s than 0.5$ of i t s turnover on R & D, whereas the s y n t h e t i c polymer i n d u s t r y spends about *f-5% of i t s o v e r a l l s a l e s on R & D. I t i s noteworthy t h a t chemical companies and j o i n t ventures o f chemical companies and forest-based companies occupy a prominent p o s i t i o n among l e a d i n g t a l l o i l f r a c t i o n a t o r s . In 1975* at the E i g h t h C e l l u l o s e Conference i n Syracuse, Mr. Benjamin Ward o f V/estvaco, r e f e r r i n g to the U#S. production of crude t a l l o i l which had increased from 190,000 tons i n 19^8 to about 900,000 tons i n 1973 (the r a t e o f the r e f i n e d t a l l o i l had increased t o 3θ}ί) said i n conclusion that: "In 10 to 20 years, i t may not be unreasonable to imagine t r e e s being grown s t r i c t l y as a source o f renewable chemicals which p l a y a major r o l e i n meeting the needs o f the chemical, as w e l l as the consumer, products industries. These remarks may sound as being of f u t u r o l o g i c a l nature to some North Americans, but, i n f a c t , i n some r e g i o n s , s p e c i a l i z e d t r e e s have been planted f o r t h i s purpose. In the case of rubber tree p l a n t a t i o n s i n Malaysia and i n other c o u n t r i e s , the tapped rubber i s the main product, and the t r e e when cut i s a by-product used mainly as f u e l (the attempts to u t i l i z e t h i s wood f o r pulp production have, on the whole, not met with success). Immediately when one c o n s i d e r s the rubber i n d u s t r y , the question o f s y n t h e t i c rubber comes i n t o one's mind. The development of the s y n t h e t i c rubber i n d u s t r y , p a r t l y f o s t e r e d by the s t r a t e g i c c o n s i d e r a t i o n s , e.g, during and s h o r t l y a f t e r the World War I I , has no doubt been a strong competitor against the n a t u r a l rubber i n d u s t r y . However, i t has r e s u l t e d i n a more e f f i c i e n t n a t u r a l rubber production, s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n o f i t s products b e n e f i c i a l to the n a t u r a l rubber i n d u s t r y , and due to the s y n t h e t i c rubber i n d u s t r y , the t o t a l consumption of rubber has increased c o n s i d e r a b l y (whereby tailor-made s y n t h e t i c rubbers have augmented t h i s market). I t i s d i f f i c u l t today to imagine the t o t a l requirements of the rubber c o n v e r t i n g i n d u s t r y , i n c l u d i n g the t y r e i n d u s t r y , being s u p p l i e d by the n a t u r a l rubber i n d u s t r y . Without the competition and s u p p l i e s by the s y n t h e t i c rubber i n d u s t r y , rubber as such would have never achieved the high tonnage consumption, and i n many cases would have p r i c e d i t s e l f out i n many a p p l i c a t i o n s . ,f

Co-operation and Competition, The r e c e n t l y published book "The Outlook f o r Timber i n the United S t a t e s " (U.S. Department of A g r i c u l t u r e , Forest S e r v i c e , J u l y , 197*0 r e f e r r e d to new


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products of the paper and board i n d u s t r y with a l a r g e market, i n c l u d i n g milk c a r t o n s , and one has to say that milk cartons are p l a s t i c s coated cartons - an example o f co-operation between the pulp/paper and p l a s t i c s i n d u s t r i e s . M u l t i w a l l bags with p l a s t i c s l i n i n g s and many other examples of t h i s co-operation could be l i s t e d . Nearly 50?o o f the t o t a l paper and paperboard production f i n d a p p l i c a t i o n i n packaging. The major shortcomings of paper and paperboard i n packaging are that these products are not w a t e r - r e s i s t a n t , they absorb moisture, and t h e i r a i r , gas and vapour p e r m e a b i l i t y are very h i g h . Therefore, i n many packaging a p p l i c a t i o n s , a p r o t e c t i v e c o a t i n g by p l a s t i c s i s used to improve the f u n c t i o n a l p r o p e r t i e s o f paper and board. These shortcomings of paper and board are among the main reasons f o r p l a s t i c s f i l m s p e n e t r a t i o n o f the packaging markets, r e p l a c i n g paper and paperboard. Among recent developments, reference i s made to • p l a s t i c s paper (high and medium molecular weight h i g h - d e n s i t y p o l y ethylene f i l m ) which has been r e p l a c i n g , at an i n c r e a s i n g s c a l e , g l a s s i n e , greaseproof paper, vegetable parchment, and even MG k r a f t paper i n Europe and i n Japan. Shrink f i l m , and l a t e l y s t r e t c h f i l m , have been r e g i s t e r i n g a growing p e n e t r a t i o n of the market* In t e c h n i c a l a p p l i c a t i o n s , the replacement o f t i s s u e paper by polypropylene and p o l y e s t e r f i l m s i n the production of c a p a c i t o r s i s to be mentioned. In the f i e l d of w r i t i n g and p r i n t i n g papers and o f w a l l paper, spunbonded m a t e r i a l s (e.g. Tyvek), and p l a s t i c s f i l m based s y n t h e t i c papers (e.g. P o l y a r t and Yupo FP), have been competing against conventional papers. On the other hand, the development o f s y n t h e t i c pulp to be used as an a d d i t i v e to conventional woodpulp f o r making paper and board with improved f u n c t i o n a l p r o p e r t i e s (on conventional paper making machines) i s a new chapter o f co-operation between the t r a d i t i o n a l paper and the s y n t h e t i c polymer i n d u s t r i e s . According to conservative estimates ( l ) , the consumption of s y n t h e t i c pulp - on a worldwide b a s i s - d u r i n g the f i r s t h a l f o f the '80-ies w i l l amount to l80,000-250,000 tpa., with a h i g h growth r a t e i n the second h a l f o f that decade. The a d d i t i o n o f s y n t h e t i c pulp to the f u r n i s h a l s o r e s u l t s i n a b e t t e r drainage r a t e . Synthetic pulp has a l s o a good p o t e n t i a l market as a binder i n nonwovens production, and i n some a p p l i c a t i o n s outside the paper i n d u s t r y . At the present ACS Meeting, r e f e r e n c e s to co-operation and competition between the pulp/paper and s y n t h e t i c polymer indust r i e s have been made i n v a r i o u s p r e s e n t a t i o n s . Prof. Goldstein (2) s t r e s s e d the point that combinations o f s y n t h e t i c polymers and c e l l u l o s e i n the form o f blends, composites and c o a t i n g s , w i l l become i n r e a s i n g l y important i n meeting packaging (j>) and communication needs at low c o s t / e f f e c t i v e n e s s r a t i o . Composites, such as c e l l u l o s e or wood f i b r e r e i n f o r c e d p l a s t i c s , w i l l a l s o 1



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become more important. (A few years ago, Dr. A.A. Robertson (k), spoke o f encouraging p o s s i b i l i t i e s of the continued development of products based on combination o f s y n t h e t i c polymers and paper, and o f the growing importance o f polymer-paper composites.) Contrary to the growth o f woodpulp consumption f o r papermaking, the expensive h i g h - p u r i t y d i s s o l v i n g pulp i s produced to the extent o f only approximately 2 m i l l i o n tons per annum, and has been f a c i n g d e c l i n i n g markets. T h i s chemical c e l l u l o s e i s the s t a r t i n g m a t e r i a l f o r rayon and acetate f i b r e s , cellophane, c e l l u l o s e e s t e r p l a s t i c s and c e l l u l o s e ether gum, and P r o f e s s o r G o l d s t e i n f e l t that s i n c e much o f the present c e l l u l o s e t e c h nology i s h i g h l y energy i n t e n s i v e , the mere a v a i l a b i l i t y of c e l l u l o s e as a renewable resource w i l l not assure i n c r e a s e d u t i l i z a t i o n o f c e l l u l o s i c polymers, unless t h e i r t o t a l c o s t becomes favourable. The s i g n i f i c a n t point i s that cellophane f i l m which has been g r a d u a l l y r e p l a c e d by p l a s t i c s f i l m s , e.g. o r i e n t e d polypropylene f i l m , could somewhat r e t a r d i t s replacement by i n t r o d u c t i o n o f p l a s t i c s coated cellophane f i l m . According to a recent ICI study (5)» the U.K. energy requirements (expressed as tonnes o f o i l equivalent.,required as feedstock p l u s energy f o r the manufacturing) i n the case o f one m i l l i o n square metres o f packaging f i l m compare as f o l l o w s : Polypropylene f i l m Cellulose film

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P r o f e s s o r Simionescu (6) r e f e r r e d to i n v e s t i g a t i o n s aimed at o b t a i n i n g a favourable symbiosis between c e l l u l o s e and s y n t h e t i c polymers, the i n t r o d u c t i o n o f c e r t a i n polymers as mass a d d i t i v e s i n the paper production, and a l s o r e f e r r e d to the use o f c e r t a i n chemical f i b r e s i n t h i s f i e l d . At the same time, Simionescu r e f e r r e d to competition, i . e . s u b s t i t u t i o n o f t r a d i t i o n a l papers by s y n t h e t i c polymer products. Whole-tree u t i l i z a t i o n f o r pulp making has been arousing great i n t e r e s t , and i t i s to be expected that f u r t h e r developments i n t h i s f i e l d w i l l result i n - at least p a r t i a l - u t i l i z a t i o n of the high tonnages o f stumps, r o o t s , branches and f o l i a g e f o r making pulp (and, i n t h i s way, a l l e v i a t i n g the t h r e a t of f i b r e shortage) and/or f o r producing crude chemicals, and i n t h i s way improving the f i n a n c i a l r e t u r n s o f the forest-based concerns, p a r t i c u l a r l y as the cost o f woodlands has been r i s i n g at a very high r a t e , i n f l u e n c i n g the cost o f forest-based products (the index o f cost per acre o f prime Southern woodland, t a k i n g i t s cost i n 1955 as 100, has increased from 182 i n 1965 to 1,367 in 1975). However, s t u d i e s on the u t i l i z a t i o n o f stump wood i n pulp production by the I n s t i t u t e o f Paper Chemistry, Appleton (7)i have shown that stump wood pulp can be expected to be i n f e r i o r i n most p h y s i c a l p r o p e r t i e s , other than f o l d i n g endurance, when compared with a s i m i l a r pulp made from conventional pine c h i p s . The question a r i s e s whether i t would be economically v i a b l e to


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improve the p r o p e r t i e s o f k r a f t paper from stump wood pulp ( t e n s i l e breaking l e n g t h , t e a r s t r e n g t h , e t c . ) by i n c o r p o r a t i n g i n t o the f u r n i s h a s m a l l amount o f s y n t h e t i c f i b r e s . Reference i s made t o the t r i a l s being c a r r i e d out a t present i n West Germany o f making k r a f t paper (with improved p r o p e r t i e s f o r cement sacks) from c o n v e n t i o n a l pulp p l u s a s m a l l p r o p o r t i o n o f nylon s h o r t - c u t f i b r e s . General Comments (Feedstock, Energy Consumption, Markets, I n f l a t i o n ) . The crude o i l s i t u a t i o n i s o f great importance t o both i n d u s t r i e s . The pulp/paper i n d u s t r y i s a l a r g e user o f energy, r e q u i r i n g i n the u n i t e d S t a t e s about three b a r r e l s o f o i l f o r the p r o d u c t i o n o f one ton o f paper, and the p l a s t i c s i n d u s t r y has been u s i n g crude o i l as feedstock p l u s f o r energy to convert o i l i n t o p l a s t i c s f i n i s h e d products. Compared w i t h the world p r o d u c t i o n o f about IkO m i l l i o n tons o f paper and paperboard per annum, the annual production o f p l a s t i c s i s about h$ m i l l i o n tons, o f which roughly 15 m i l l i o n tons f i n d a p p l i c a t i o n i n packaging, i n c l u d i n g b o t t l e s , c o n t a i n e r s and a l s o ! f i l m s . However, one ton o f p l a s t i c s f i l m - depending on the j polymer i n v o l v e d and the a p p l i c a t i o n - r e p l a c e s between 2 and 3 tons o f paper. The American Petroleum I n s t i t u t e assessed r e c e n t l y that "proved reserves o f crude o i l c o u l d be o f the order o f 98,000 m i l l i o n tonnes, and the annual world o i l consumption was r e c e n t l y e s t i mated a t l e s s than 2,800 m i l l i o n tonnes i n 1973 and 197^ (BP S t a t i s t i c a l Review). The t o t a l consumption o f the world petrochemical i n d u s t r y accounts f o r about 5Λ> o f the g l o b a l o i l consumption, and the bigger share o f the petrochemical i n d u s t r y ' s requirements i s used f o r the p r o d u c t i o n o f f e r t i l i z e r s . Only 2% o f the world o i l consumption are used f o r making p l a s t i c s m a t e r i a l s . As | p l a s t i c s m a t e r i a l s belong t o the h i g h e s t upvalued products d e r i v e d from crude o i l , i t i s t o be expected that the tonnages j r e q u i r e d by t h i s i n d u s t r y w i l l be always a v a i l a b l e , whereas t e c h n o l o g i c a l developments w i l l l e a d t o savings o f o i l consump t i o n i n many other f i e l d s due t o the growing r e a l i s a t i o n that j j u s t burning o i l i s an obsolete p r a c t i c e . The growing i n t e r e s t o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l o i l companies i n downstream o p e r a t i o n s (production o f monomers, polymers and even p l a s t i c s products) and, a t the same time, t h e i r involvement i n the develop ment o f other energy sources, i s a n o t i c e a b l e p o i n t e r f o r the future. With f i n d i n g o f new o i l r e s e r v e s , i n c l u d i n g those outside the Middle E a s t , and t h e i r b e t t e r u t i l i z a t i o n , together with the development o f other energy sources, which were uneconomic a t the o i l p r i c e o f ^ 2 per b a r r e l , but may be v i a b l e a t present crude o i l p r i c e s , the danger o f o i l p r i c e s i n c r e a s i n g i n future at a r a t e above the o v e r a l l i n f l a t i o n r a t e i s not t o be envisaged, provided that the s i t u a t i o n i s faced squarely by governments and i n d u s t r y i n an e f f e c t i v e manner. 1


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connection:

The energy consumption i n production o f p l a s t i c s together with the o i l used as feedstock, i s lower than the energy consumption i n the production o f paper and of many other products. According to the NATO Report (8), the t y p i c a l energy content o f p l a s t i c s products i s 10 megajoules/kg. as against 25 megajoules/kg. i n the case of paper products. According to the a l r e a d y mentioned ICI study, the U.K. energy requirements (expressed i n tons o f o i l e q u i v a l e n t i n c l u d i n g feedstock and energy) f o r the manufacture of 1 m i l l i o n f e r t i l i s e r sacks made from low-density polyethylene f i l m amount to V70, as a g a i n s t 700 when these sacks are made from k r a f t paper. The d i f f i c u l t y o f comparing the energy requirements of v a r i o u s products i s p a r t l y due to the f a c t that i n some cases only s p e c i f i c s e c t o r s of the o v e r a l l production process are r e f e r r e d to. The high energy consumption of the pulp and paper i n d u s t r y i s w e l l known. The recent "Fuel Survey" by the American Pulpwood A s s o c i a t i o n , Washington, (published 1975) says that i n 197^ pulpwood h a r v e s t i n g r e q u i r e d an average o f 5*16 gallons of fuel - either gasoline or d i e s e l - to harvest a cord o f pulpwood and move i t from the stump to a c o n c e n t r a t i o n point or m i l l by truck. This survey, r e f e r r i n g to the continuous trend towards greater mechani s a t i o n , says that " i t appears d o u b t f u l that the average r a t e o f f u e l consumption f o r h a r v e s t i n g pulpwood can be reduced". It would be an i n t e r e s t i n g e x e r c i s e to c a l c u l a t e the a d d i t i o n a l f u e l requirements, i n c l u d i n g a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of f o r e s t s p r i o r to the h a r v e s t i n g o f pulpwood. A l l these energy requirements i n the pulp/paper i n d u s t r y (together with those i n the a c t u a l pulp and papermaking) c l e a r l y show that the a c t u a l production c o s t s of c e l l u l o s i c paper r e f l e c t d i r e c t l y the changes o f the crude o i l p r i c e s . A number o f s t u d i e s have been made on the i n f l u e n c e of changes of crude o i l p r i c e s on the production c o s t s of p l a s t i c s m a t e r i a l s and p l a s t i c s products. The above mentioned ICI study r e f e r s to the e f f e c t of crude o i l increased p r i c e s on downstream operations, and i l l u s t r a t e s the d i l u t i o n of the crude o i l cost component i n the production c o s t s of monomers, polymers, and f i n i s h e d , goods. The increase o f crude o i l p r i c e by 300% r e s u l t s i n an increase o f the p r i c e of ethylene by 200%, polyethylene by 100%, and o f polyethylene bags by 30%. In the case o f propylene, the increase was even lower, namely l80%, and of polypropylene by only 70%. The f a c t i s that d e s p i t e the high i n c r e a s e s o f crude o i l p r i c e s since the end o f 1973» p l a s t i c s have not l o s t (apart from a few e x c e p t i o n a l cases) t h e i r competitive strength and have continued to penetrate the paper markets. The present r e c e s s i o n has r e s u l t e d i n the lowering of paper p r i c e s i n v a r i o u s European markets. In West Germany, the biggest papermaking country of Europe, the wholesale p r i c e s o f some packaging papers i n September, 19751 were about 14% lower than i n September, 197*+. Some types of paperboard r e g i s t e r e d an even greater drop


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in prices. All indications are that as soon as the market con ditions improve, the prices of paper will increase above the September, 1974, level, reflecting the increased production costs. It is anticipated that in boom conditions, paper prices will have to increase at a higher rate than the overall inflation rate, in order to make papermaking a viable proposition. Polymer and plastics prices are expected to increase at a rate lower than the overall inflation rate. Among the reasons for this are the technological developments taking place in this industry. A number of examples in the production of polymers and in the plastics processing industry, which have resulted in lowering the production costs during the last few years, could be cited. Whereas a few years ago, a 60 mm. extruder had a production rate of about 30-35 kg./h. of plastics paper, extruders of the same size produce today 70-80 kg./h, of plastics paper of the same thickness. The further penetration by plastics of the conventional paper and board markets is to be expected, and, at the same time, new products made from cellulosic pulp plus synthetic polymers will secure considerable markets, representing a growing co operation between these two industries. Literature Cited (1) Wolpert, Vladimir Μ., "Plastics and the Paper Industry", p. 25, Wolpert & Jones (Studies) Ltd., London, 1975. (2) Goldstein, Irving S., "The Place of Cellulose under Energy Scarcity", presentation at the ACS Centennial Meeting, New York, 1976. (3) Jones, Allen, and Wolpert, Vladimir Μ., "Composite Materials for Packaging", 235 pp., Wolpert & Jones (Studies) Ltd., London, 1976. (4) Robertson, Α.Α., "Modification of the Mechanical Proper ties of Paper by the Addition of Synthetic Polymers", presentation at the International Symposium "The Fundamental Properties of Paper Related to its Uses", organized by the British Paper and Board Makers' Association, Cambridge (England), 1973. (5) ICI Ltd., "The Competitiveness of of LD ΡΕ, PP and PVC After the 1973 Oil Crisis: The ICI View", ICI, London, 1974. (6) Simionescu, Cristofor I., "The Relation 'CellulosePaper', Options and Developments", pre-print of the ACS Centennial Meeting, New York, 1976. (7) Peckham, John R., and McKee, Robert C., "Pulp & Paper", (1975), Volume 49, (Number 14), pp. 53-55. (8) NATO Report, "Technology of Efficient Energy Utilization'! NATO, Brussels, 1973.


Interrelation between the Paper and Plastics Industries - ACS

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