Ashland Water Technologies

OptiFillSM Taking Filler Content Above and Beyond

A comprehensive approach for lowering costs through fiber substitution for printing and

writing operations

2

OptiFill Program Optimizing filler and fiber without compromize on quality and productivity

OptiFill

Delivers strength to paper

Increase Filler

Significant savings for mills that are net/seller of

pulp

Reduce Long Fiber

Reduce production costs by reducing market pulp

use

3

OptiFill Program

Increasing Filler in paper

Fiber

Saving Energy

Savings Opacity Smooth-

ness

Paper machine

Productivity

Wet-Web Strength

Dry Strength

End-User

Performance

Bulk/Stiffness

Dusting

Paper Quality

Strength

Formation

Ben

efit

s L

imit

atio

ns

PerForm HA5305 &

PerForm HAXXXX Maintain sheet strength through mill filler

agglomeration and filler-fiber bonding

Modified Filler Particle Optional

Preserve sheet structure to maintain

bulk and stiffness at higher ash use

PerForm SP series Maximize filler retention, drainage and

formation under varying filler loadings

4

Strength Development – Two Approaches

Filler-Fiber

bonding

Filler

Aggregation

Product PerForm HA5305E PerForm HAXXXX

Main Action Increase internal bond &

wet-web strength (paper machine productivity)

Increase in-plane

strength (tensile)

Improve filler retention

Application Thick

Stock Addition

Filler pre-treatment

Added to filler slurry

Dual Approach to

boost response

Filler-Fiber

bonding

PerForm HA5305E

Filler pre-treatment

Added to filler slurry

Single Approach to

maximize runnability

Under validation in EMEA

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Hercobond HA5305, strength additive Function: Filler-Fiber Bonding Patented Technology

Properties

Proprietary colloidal polymer microstructure – reaction product

Net anionic, amphoteric polymer system

15% actives content

Ready-to-use liquid

Single component polymer

Viscosity 1,500 – 4,000cps

pH 6.5 – 7.5

Benefits Fully compatible with PW wet-end

– Will not quench OBA

Product is designed to work with PCC and/or GCC; dispersed or undispersed

Simple to use, simple metering skid

This polymer has unique afinity to attach to filler surface to reduce filler abrasion

Increases wet-web to maintain productivity

Increases internal bond (ZDT)

6

Effect of PerForm HA on binding the fillers to the fibers SEM of repulped fibers/filler

Treated with HA, 21% Filler Greater surface of fiber covered with filler

Untreated, 21%filler Less filler linked to fibers

7

PerForm HAXXXX Function: Mild Filler Aggregation Patented Technology

Properties

Proprietary polymer designed to create structured filler agglomeration

Net anionic

Emulsion Polymer, requires make-down

Viscosity: 100-500 cps

pH: 6-9

FDA, BfR compliant

Benefits

Medium-size filler agglomerate minimize strength loss

Stuctured agglomeration provide robust agglomerates to resist shear from papermaking system

Provides in-plane strength (Tensile)

8

UCFS Mill Success Story, Asia Increase Filler

Mill Goals/Challenges • Increase filler

Mill Profile • Production: 200,000 TPY

• Grade: 75 gsm copy paper

• Retention: PerForm SP7200/CPAM

Ashland Solution

- Technology:

• PerForm HA5305 Thick Stock addition

• PerForm HAXXXX Filler pre-treatment

Documented Results

• 5% filler increase

• Paper machine efficiency

maintained, no increase in

sheet break frequency

• Papermachine productivity

unchanged

• All key strength properties

maintained or increased

9

Paper Machine Trial Results, Paper Quality Improvement

PerForm HA5305 & PerForm HAXXXX enabled 5% filler increase while maintaining or increasing strength properties

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Folding, 1.5 kg

Tear, mN.m2/g

Burst, kpa.m2/g

Tensile, N.m/g

Internal Bond, kg.cm

HA5305 HA5305 + SP

HA5305

HA 5305+ HAXXXX

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UCFS Mill Success Story, Americas Increase Filler

Mill Goals/Challenges • Increase filler

Mill Profile • Production: 66,000 TPY

• Grade: 50-80 gsm, copy offset

• Retention: PerForm SP7200 & APAM

Ashland Solution

- Technology:

• PerForm HA5305 Thick Stock addition

• PerForm HAXXXX Filler pre-treatment

Documented Results

• Filler increase from 19% to 24%

• Maintained good papermachine

productivity

• End-use results • Key strength parameters such as tensile,

mullen & formation were maintained within

specification

• Documented savings • Excess of $1,000,000 in net savings/year

documented

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UCFS Mill Success Story, Americas Papermachine results – OptiFill effect on Tensile

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

Baseline No OptiFill OptiFill (No Filler increase)

OptiFill (5% Filler Increase)

MD Tensile, 50 gsm kgf/15mm

On a same filler content, OptiFill enabled a 20% increase in Tensile

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UCFS Mill Success Story, Americas Papermachine results – effect on paper quality, 75 gsm

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

Ash

% F

ille

r in

Pa

pe

r

No Treatment OptiFill

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

Formation

Ind

ex

No Treatment OptiFill

Sheet formation & bulk were maintained with OptiFill and 5% filler increase

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

Bulk

cm

3/g

No Treatment OptiFill

13

UCFS Mill Success Story, Americas Papermachine results – effect on optical properties, 75 gsm

In this case, 5% filler increase generated 1.3 pt gain in opacity

85.2 86.5

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

Opacity

Perc

en

t (%

)

No Treatment OptiFill

14

UCFS Mill Success Story, Americas Papermachine results – effect on paper Strength, 75 gsm

7

7.2

7.4

7.6

7.8

8

8.2

8.4

MD Tensile

kg

f/15m

m

No Treatment OptiFill

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3

Mullen

kg

f/cm

No Treatment OptiFill

Key strength parameters maintained with 5% filler increase

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UCFS Mill Success Story, Europe Increase Filler

Mill Goals/Challenges •Increase filler

•Maintain Runnability

Mill Profile •Production: 210,000 TPY

•Grade: 80 gsm copy paper

•Retention: PerForm SP7200/CPAM

Ashland Solution

- Technology:

• Perform HA5305 Filler pre-treatment

Documented Results

•Filler increase +5 points

•Excellent machine runnability

•Good copier dusting

performance

•Tensile / Stiffness results within

specification

•Significant reduction in steam

consumption

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UCFS Mill Success Story, Europe Paper Quality Results; effect on Tensile

20.2 21.8 22.3

20.7 23.2 24.1 23.5

24.8 23.7 23.4 23.0 23.5 23.2 22.8 23.5 23.2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

Tensile v Ash

Sheet Ash (%) Tensile MD Tensile CD

Tensile strength within specification at higher filler content

17

UCFS Mill Success Story, Europe Paper Quality Results; effect on Stiffness

CD Stiffness is critical paper characteristic for copier runnability

18

20

22

24

26

28

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

90.00

100.00

110.00

120.00

Ash v Stiffness MD / CD

Ash Stiffness MD Stiffness CD

18

UCFS Mill Success Story, m-Real Alizay, Europe Article published March 2012

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OptiFill Program – Summary

Global

Commercialization of

program

Commercial paper produced in all regions

Asia, Latin America & Europe

Extended trials and on-going production

North America

Multiple on-going promotions with qualification trials

Commercial production (360-1,500 T/day) of Copy, Offset, Coated paper

Filler content of paper produced range from 22% -35% (+3 to 12%)

Produced with GCC, PCC or combination

Setting new industry stardards

Demonstrated the ability to maintain paper machine runnability (wet-

web strength) while reducing long fiber or increasing filler

Demonstrated significant savings through long fiber replacement

Confirmed best practices to achieve optimal results from each program

components

Reduced time to implementation: Simplified metering systems

Optional tools that to address machine specific issues such as

bulk/stiffness, dusting or strength.

Comprehensive and

easy to use

Significant Results

Documented

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EMEA OptiFill Launch Team

Eemeli Siitonen +358 408473753

Senior Applications Specialist (OptiFill EMEA Lead)

Jean de la Varende +33 607780019

Senior Applications Specialist (Dry Strength)

Gert Stenstroem +46 705844690

Senior Applications Specialist (RDC)

Eric Pujol +33 611987741

Senior Applications Specialist (CC+RDC)