There used to be big differences between magazine and fine paper. Now it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between woodcontaining and woodfree papers. When quality and price start to converge, customers are more likely to choose paper for its properties – a wet-look effect, for example, or the fact that the paper lies flat on the table.
The difference between woodcontaining and woodfree paper is not the presence of wood but rather of lignin – in mechanically-produced, woodcontaining pulp, the lignin is retained, creating a simpler paper, while the chemical process in which lignin is removed, creates a finer paper. The difference is getting smaller though, explains Henrik Wettergren, business area manager for printing and speciality paper.
In the old days, woodcontaining paper was only used for certain products. Now the groups are coming closer in terms of quality and even competing on price, largely due to product development in woodcontaining paper. Specific properties are often behind customer choices, rather than the price differential.
This is also the reason why Södra merged magazine paper and fine paper into a single product area a number of years ago.
Woodcontaining paper is becoming finer
Södra produces almost only chemical, woodfree pulp. Nevertheless, the sale of chemical pulp to producers of woodcontaining paper is still an important area that represents 20 per cent of Södra’s total sales. This is because a certain amount of softwood pulp must be used to add strength to woodcontaining paper. The amount is declining, however, as paper producers find new ways of reducing the amount of sulphate pulp in their recipes.
“The irony is that the better and stronger the pulp we produce, the less of it papermakers need. But we have to improve all the same so they will choose us and not the competition,” says Henrik, adding that many other manufacturers are faced with a similar situation.
“Take the washing-up liquid ’Yes’ for example – it’s sold on the premise that we use as little of it as possible.”
Södra Cell is far from alone in supplying sulphate pulp that ends up in woodcontaining paper. Our competitiveness lies in our long tradition of innovation and the much-appreciated properties of our Green pulp.
Weekly newspapers, magazines and phone directories are significant woodcontaining applications for Södra customers, but hardly any chemical pulp is used for newsprint these days. Producers have learnt to make newsprint purely from mechanical pulp. Strength is primarily added by mixing in recycled fibre. The price of pulp is more important than its durability for short-life products such as daily newspapers.
“The lignin in the woodcontaining paper means that it yellows over time when exposed to light, which is what happens with newsprint. But in some cases durability is not an important quality,” says Henrik, who describes how Saab chose an uncoated woodcontaining paper for an exclusive advertising brochure so that pictures would appear misty. It reinforced the “wet-look” feeling. And wet cars make more beautiful photographs.
The Ikea catalogue is a prestige order for many of Södra’s customers and now and then Henrik gets calls along the lines of: “Now we’ve got a chance to get Ikea. Have you got a good offer for us?”.
“For us as a supplier it’s not as prestigious as it is for them,” says Henrik. He explains that only a very small portion of Södra’s total sales of woodcontaining paper is destined for the Ikea catalogue, which is produced from SC paper.
Woodfree paper: A key component
Woodfree “fine paper” has been Södra Cell’s biggest product area for some years, and currently makes up 23.4 per cent of sales. Woodfree paper is in turn divided into coated and uncoated grades. Standard copier paper in sheets belong to the uncoated category, with a market that remains strong. Despite fears about the effect of the paperless society on consumption, we are still consuming a huge amount of uncoated office paper, which Henrik explains by the fact that most computers today have a printer. The market for coated paper is tougher with high overcapacity.
Woodfree paper customers generally have similar requirements; they want adense, fine surface, a strong paper, but also a sheet which lies nicely on a flat surface.
“It’s important that the paper doesn’t curl up at the corners,” says Henrik, showing how a page from a notepad lifts from the desk.
On the global market, tissue products are the fastest growing, but printing paper is also being pulled along by growing demand from China in particular. Södra Cell has been in partnership since 2000 with Elof Hansson AB, a trading house in Gothenburg, in the increasingly important Chinese market.
We have to be on top of things in the new growth markets, says Henrik: The Chinese are as demanding as European customers.
Printing paper is divided into:
Woodcontaining “magazine paper”
Based on mechanically-produced pulp with lignin
Key customers include: Norske Skog, Holmen and Italian group Burgo.
Typical products: Ikea catalogue, telephone directories, weekly magazines.
Share of Södra Cell’s sales – 20.3 per cent
Customer requirements: Tear strength, tensile strength, surface properties
Key applications: SC (supercalendered) and LWC (lightweight coated).
Woodfree “fine paper”
A chemical process removes the lignin from the pulp
Key customers include:Arctic Paper, M-real, Mondi and Klippan.
Typical products – Picture books, copier paper, brochures
Share of Södra Cell’s sales – 23.4 per cent
Customer requirements: Tensile strength, fine surface, and that the sheet of paper “lies flat”.
Divided into coated and uncoated.