Unique High-Filler Technology Provides Significant Cost Savings in Reduced Fiber Consumption by Increasing PCC Filler Usage
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First Commercial Agreement for the FulFill(TM) Technology in South America
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NEW YORK, March 13-Minerals Technologies Inc., (NYSE: MTX) announced today that it has signed a commercial agreement with CMPC Celulose Riograndense to provide Fulfill(TM) E-325 at a paper mill in Guaiba, Brazil. This marks Minerals Technologies' first such agreement in South America for the new, high-filler technology.
The company now has 13 agreements with paper mills that have adopted the Fulfill(TM) E-325 technology introduced in late 2010, which verifies the technology's commercial progress. The FulFill(TM) brand offers papermakers a variety of efficient, flexible solutions that allows papermakers to increase loading levels of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), which replaces higher cost pulp, and increases PCC usage.
"We are very pleased that this premier paper company, with which we have been supplying PCC at Guaiba since 2007, will adopt our new FulFill(TM) technology. FulFill(TM) will provide CMPC a competitive advantage and allow them to continue producing quality paper but at a lower cost," said Joseph C. Muscari, Executive Chairman of Minerals Technologies. "We now have commercial agreements with papermakers in Asia, Europe, South Africa and North and South America, which validates the revitalization of our Research and Development pipeline and our commitment to advance our technology leadership throughout our global satellite network."
CMPC Celulose Riograndense is a Brazilian company and one of the largest regional producers of bleached pulp using short eucalyptus fiber. The company's industrial unit, located in Guaíba, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, runs a state-of-the-art cellulose pulp mill, with modern resources for environmental protection. It has an installed capacity of 450,000 metric tons of marketable pulp per year, aimed at the manufacture of personal hygiene paper and specialty paper, both highly valued goods. Part of the pulp production is directed to the on-site paper machine to produce 60,000 annual metric tons of printing and writing paper, chiefly sold in the domestic market. CMPC Celulose Riograndense is a subsidiary of Chilean-based Empresas CMPC S.A.
PCC is a specialty pigment for filling and coating high-quality paper. By substituting Minerals Technologies' PCC for more expensive wood fiber, customers are able to produce brighter, higher quality paper at lower cost. In 1986, Minerals Technologies originated the satellite concept for making and delivering PCC on-site at paper mills and the concept was a major factor in revolutionizing papermaking in North America. Today, the company has 57 satellite plants in operation or under construction around the world and continues to lead the industry with consistent quality and technical innovation.
Minerals Technologies Inc. is a resource- and technology-based growth company that develops, produces and markets worldwide a broad range of specialty mineral, mineral-based and synthetic mineral products and related systems and services. The company recorded sales of $1.01 billion in 2012.
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For further information about Minerals Technologies Inc. look on the internet at http://www.mineralstech.com/
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Contact:
Rick B. Honey
(212) 878-1831
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Source: Minerals Technologies Inc via Thomson Reuters ONE
