KCL pilot line for foam papermaking has been relocated to our Lohja pilot plant and is ready for trial runs.
Foam forming technology provides a unique opportunity to innovate by combining different fibres and materials, enabling the development of new product characteristics. There are multiple ways to enhance product performance, ranging from lightweight structures to entirely new, advanced material compositions.
Foam forming technology opens interesting possibilities for applications like lightweight packaging solutions, non-woven materials, tissues, fibre composites and absorbent materials.
Key benefits
In foam forming paper technology, fibres and other furnish components are dispersed in foam instead of in water. Foam consists of water, a foaming agent, and air. Typical, the air content is 50–70%, but depending on the application and product, it can also be higher. It is the air bubbles in the foam that prevent the fibres from flocculating.
This allows the fibres to be evenly distributed throughout the entire fibre web. This also enables the processing of materials that are usually considered difficult to handle using conventional wet-laid processes. These include long fibres, recycled fibres, delicate natural fibres, nanocellulose, microfibrillated materials and other fine particles, as well as advanced additives.
Overall, the web structure created using foam technology is extremely uniform and smooth. Technology can be used to create bulky yet lightweight structures. Combining bulk structures with thin functional barriers creates special opportunities for packaging materials. As the formed materials are lighter and have a lower density, they can be thicker for a given basis weight.
Production of foam forming paper is a sustainable technology, because it improves dewatering and energy efficiency. Improving water removal reduces the demand for drying energy. Lower wet pressing requirements can also help to preserve bulk.
Testing and trials at KCL
At KCL’s Lohja pilot plant, you can evaluate how foam forming paper could support your next material innovation, from initial concept to pilot-scale validation.
At KCL, we can refine and process various fibre materials for use in foam forming material mixes. We can also add various additives and surfactants to test and optimise different combinations of materials.
We are offering:
- early-stage feasibility testing
- scale-up trials
- process parameter optimisation
- chemistry evaluation
Once the development stage is complete, KCL can offer contract manufacturing of foam formed paper reels. Producing the first reels at KCL will allow you to gain market acceptance and validate the material before making any actual investments in your own production.
KCL’s laboratory services are comprehensive and provide support for all necessary testing in pilot line trials.
KCL foam forming pilot line is an innovative platform that can unlock the full potential of various fibre-based material combinations in a sustainable, efficient and scalable way.
Come and see what properties your product could gain from foam forming.
For more information or book a trial, please contact:
Mikko Mensonen, Head of Coating, Printing, Finishing
mikko.mensonen(at)kcl.fi
+358 40 522 6005