INFO
What is polymer dispersion? Products such as water-based paints are polymer dispersions. When water evaporates, the polymer subunits bond together to form a film. Paint dried on hands easily breaks down into small bits when hands are washed with water. This is roughly the same way dispersion on the surface of cup paper behaves in a recycling pulper. In contrast, the traditional coating for cup paper, polythene, is applied in molten condition like other plastics, and the resulting film is difficult to separate from the board.
“In Europe, or actually, in the whole world, there were three suitable mills. Kotkamills was the most suitable,” says Hämäläinen. The primary investor in the project, MB Funds, acquired Kotkamills, and modifications were started at the old paper mill in Markku Hämäläinen spring 2015. The magazine paper machine was dismantled, and the board machine started up in summer 2016. In autumn of the same year, it was already producing the targeted quality. CATERING TO FAST FOOD GIANTS AND AIRLINES
The certificates are proof that the board is safe to use for foodstuffs. 16
1/2018
In addition to being technically suitable for barrier board, Kotkamills offered a valuable cash flow for the developers even before the new product was launched. The mill produced, and still produces, sawn timber, paper for laminating, and resin impregnated papers used, for example, for coating plywood. “These are very important products for us, and we are even planning to increase production of laminated paper,” Hämäläinen says. Board production also started with a