b'FiberLean technology can allow tissueCalcium Carbonate is also known producers to re-evaluate the potentialas limestone or marble and can be for filler in their systems as a meansprovided as a wet-ground product to replace fiber, gain incremental(GCC) that has a very broad particle productivity increases or reducesize distribution, or as a precipitated energy consumption, and even pushcalcium carbonate (PCC) which is a the envelope on product development. chemically synthesized product with a narrow particle size distribution and While kaolin clay and calciumvery specific particle morphology.Due carbonate are the most prevalentto the nature of production, PCC tends fillers for papermaking applications,to be lower in abrasion and may be these and other minerals can also bedelivered as a low solids slurry or as a used to bring additional functionalhigher solids cake, which requires some benefits to the final product. Imeryshandling equipment installed at the mill is a multi-mineral provider that hasFigure 2. Stacksin addition to unloading, storage and adopted quite sophisticated practicesof coarsedelivery infrastructure. While calcium kaolin mined to improve the ability to process andin Georgia,carbonate delivers high brightness and customize products, offering a rangeUS (right) andoptical properties, it can also be lower of minerals often available in variousPara, Brazilin softness and more difficult to retain (above).Figure 1. FiberLean made using precipitated calcium carbonate (left) and kaolin clay (right). pigments, particle sizings and otherrelative to kaolin clays at similar particle attributes. Those that show the mostsizes, due to the level of dispersants promising potential in the developmentthat may be associated with the high and performance enhancementsolids slurry (GCC more than PCC).of tissue products include kaolin, precipitated and ground calciumAs previously mentioned, kaolin clays carbonates, as well as diatomaceousand calcium carbonates are the earth and perlite. predominant minerals used in cellulose based paper applications. These In general, filler minerals tend tominerals, along with the FiberLean be coarse in particle size whichtechnology can be used to replace fiber corresponds to a lower relative surfaceand maintain quality. But, what about area. This makes the product easierKaolin Clays are platy aluminum silicatethe potential for product development? to retain at lower chemical dosagesminerals that are inert across the pHCan the intrinsic properties of specialty and also does not impair strength asscale. These minerals are mostly minedminerals offer additional value for tissue significantly as a finer particle sizefrom secondary deposits that containproducers?product. Since the optical propertiesfewer impurities which means they of tissue arent a performancetend to be lower in abrasion than someDiatomaceous earth (DE) is a requirement, coarse fillers areCan theof the harder minerals like groundsedimentary rock composed of pre-recommended for the majority of fiberintrinsiccalcium carbonate. This, combinedhistoric skeletal remains of single-replacement applications. Minerals,propertieswith the platy shape of the particlescell aquatic plants called diatoms. when used in high volumes, areof specialtytends to result in a smoother surfaceThe shapes and structures of these typically delivered as high solidsminerals offerin the final paper application.Kaolin ischemically inert particles are not only slurry products, or as bulk productsadditionalfound abundantly throughout the world,beautiful, but they are efficient at oil that require slurrying with watervalue forbut deposits in the Southern US andabsorption as well as improving filtration prior to addition to the papermakingtissueNorthern Brazil are the most commonlyprocesses. Historically used either in application. producers? used for industrial applications. friction paper or for stickies control, TISSUE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL89'