We're kicking off the 2023 Specialty Papers US Conference with a welcome reception in the beautiful Vue Rooftop Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency! Let us welcome you to Milwaukee with local craft brews, light appetizers, and an opportunity to network with your peers prior to the conference.

Plus, the rooftop ballroom offers an amazing view of the city! 

The welcome reception is included in your ticket!

Rebecca List, Conference Producer, Smithers

As demand for sustainable packaging increases, consumers need help understanding which packaging types are more sustainable and gaining confidence that sustainable solutions are just as good, if not better than, alternatives. We can begin instilling consumer confidence in sustainable packaging by starting with the end in mind. Learn what this means, why it matters, and how we can redefine paper packaging for a greener tomorrow.
Kelly L. Helein | VP, Business Development, ProCon

Current packaging solutions are under pressure by government legislation, NGO’s and brands. This presentation discusses these market forces and their impact on future packaging solutions in light of PFAS bans, SUP legislation, micro-plastic concerns, and the focus on recyclability and compostability. How does paper play into these solutions, and what does the industry need to do going forward to capture these new packaging opportunities?
Jim Fogg | NA Bus Dev Mgr - Barriers and Coatings, Solenis, LLC

The 3M Kit Test, initially employed to assess the surface repellency or grease resistance of fluorochemical treatments, is slowly being phased out since PFAS treatments have either been banned, or have been phased out due to not breaking down in natural environments, and can lead to health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues and cancer. The paper industry has moved onto more environmentally conscious materials, yet the industry still relies on results generated from the 3M Kit Test because there aren’t many alternatives to testing oil and grease-resistant barrier coatings. TAPPI has developed a sub-committee to try and tackle this very issue. The sub-committee consists of many global barrier experts, and together we are working to develop a new industry standard. Presented are some of the findings that we have come across in roughly a years’ long search to identify the perfect 3M Kit Test alternative.
 
Dustin Burton | Sr. Research Technologist, NA Binders, R&D, Trinseo

This panel will explore the latest developments, challenges, and hot topics, discussing how they are currently affecting the industry and what we can anticipate moving forward.
 
Moderator: Kelly Helein, VP Business Development, ProCon
 
Panelists:

•  Dustin Burton, Sr. Research Technologist, NA Binders, R&D, Trinseo
• Abby Sztein, Senior Director, Government Affairs, American Forest & Paper Association Member
• Jim Fogg, NA Business Development Manager, Solenis

Consumer demand for sustainable packaging is fueling interest and growth in paper packaging, but challenges remain for paper to deliver barrier and process performance equivalent to incumbent technologies. In this work, we present barrier coating solutions based on waterborne mechanical dispersions that solve multiple challenges in paper packaging applications. The composition and rheology of dispersions are tailored to achieve good film-formation and the right coating morphology for barrier to water (liquid and vapor). They also offer amenability to customization via formulation and yield coated paper with efficient processing on high-speed packaging lines with features such as high/broad heat-seal/hot-tack and low coefficient of friction (CoF), while balancing all other key metrics, such as block, shelf stability, foaming, calcium stability, and recoatability, etc. Papers coated with the new dispersions also meet necessary food contact requirements and are excellent for repulpability and recyclability enabling improved sustainability.
Hanze Ying | Associate Research Scientist, Dow Inc.

We’ve demonstrated that our thermally insulating linerboard may be made in high volume on most of the existing paper-making assets around the world.  The technology has been demonstrated using recycled fiber at Western Michigan University in six pilot trials.  The resultant linerboard comprises low cost, widely available, non-toxic materials to form a biodegradable / biodestructable insulating board that may be corrugated and converted into a box.  The resultant insulating board has passed independent testing for repulpability with 97% - 98% fiber recovery.  We are able to make the paper strong enough to pass commercial edge-crush and ply-bond specifications yet still retain appreciable thermal insulation -- or we can make paper with much higher thermal insulation properties with reduced strength.  We also plan to share laboratory data that provides R&D line of sight to further improvements in sheet thermal properties on the technology buyer’s assets.
 
Two different technologies have been developed:  1)  A series of wet-end additives may be selected from and incorporated within the sheet to reduce heat conduction.  2)  A series of thin prototype coatings (2-4 gsm) have also been developed that inhibit radiant heat transfer (for example, when a box is left in the sun) that are also demonstrated repulpable.  The two technologies may be used in combination or independently.  The American Chemical Society recently awarded the scientists the Southeastern Regional Industrial Innovation Award for the enabling science.
 
The technology is protected by three issued US patents and international counterparts.  An additional US application is pending to allow the buyer of the technology to tailor the claim language to suite their own business needs.
 
The technology is currently for sale, and a patent auction is planned.  The technology also includes a large volume of documented development know-how and Trade Secret technology.  The inventors are available and may be engaged to work with the buyer to transfer the technology.
Ryan Liss | CFO, Triple Point Innovations LLC

In 1961, Suzano was the first company in the world to produce pulp and paper using 100% eucalyptus fiber on an industrial scale. Since then, eucalyptus fiber has become the most widely available market kraft pulp in the world, used in over 40 different types of paper. Suzano is at the forefront of the industry, leading in terms of both innovation and sustainability. In fact, the company has recently developed several new 100% eucalyptus-based products to reduce their carbon footprint and promote plastic replacement.
 
Suzano’s market pulp product portfolio now includes bleached, unbleached, and flash-dried market pulp, all made from sustainable, 100% plantation-based Brazilian eucalyptus. Furthermore, the company’s strength platform allows for added strength eucalyptus to be used, enabling the creation of new paper and packaging grades with reduced brightness levels and improved LCAs compared to standard high bright products.
 
Suzano’s in-house innovations in packaging, such as Greenbag and LIN products, showcase the potential of products produced with 100% eucalyptus fiber and 0% long fiber in areas typically dominated by long fiber in the product furnish. Additionally, today some specialty paper producers around the world prefer eucalyptus fiber for the production of grades such as glassine, decor, release liner, filtration, and specialty raw stock for coated materials.
 
This presentation aims to provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of eucalyptus market pulp, including its growth and development, the different types available, and the various applications and possibilities it offers.
Bryan Gamble | Paper Sales Representative – North America, Suzano America

Presentation:

Neva Murtha, Next Generation Solutions Campaigner, Canopy Planet

As eco-conscious consumers and businesses look to reduce their environmental footprints, alternative fibre solutions such as hemp, wheat straw, barley straw, and rice stubble are becoming an appealing choice for leading brands and paper and packaging manufacturers. Through collaborative efforts with industry innovators, companies are making exciting strides in researching and developing more eco-friendly products, and in doing so, strengthening their market presence.
 
Join Canopy and industry experts from Mohawk Fine Papers, Nafici Environmental Resources, Paradigm, and Bim Bam Boo to learn more about these game-changing Next Generation Solutions. Hear from Canopy about their work with brands and producers to rethink packaging and create new tools to integrate greener, more sustainable materials that still deliver on quality and performance. From there, panelists will share their experiences navigating the world of alternative fibres – where we are currently, what the future can hold, and the many different avenues that can be gone down within the space, from trials and R&D to commercial scale production.

Panel:

Moderator: Neva Murtha, Next Generation Solutions Campaigner, Canopy Planet

Panelists:

• Gavin Gaynor, VP, Research and Development, Mohawk
• Ralph Bianculli, CEO, Paradigm
• Florence Miremadi-Nafici, Co-Founder and CEO, Nafici Environmental Research
• Zoë Levin, CEO/Founder, Bim Bam Boo
• Kelly Tiller, Ph.D., Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Genera Inc.

Neva Murtha | Next Generation Solutions Campaigner, Canopy Planet

Moderator: Kelly Helein, VP Business Development, ProCon
 
Panelists:

• Carl Houtman, PhD, Research Chemical Engineer, U.S. Forest Service
• Colleen Walker, Director, Process Development Center, UMaine Process Development Center

How can the paper industry help provide or invest in new novel technologies to advance package design? How is the ever-evolving regulatory landscape changing the way that engineers design for recyclability? Panelists from different sectors will address opportunities for the industry to consider.

It is well known that multiple barrier layers give optimum performance. In this light, what can be done to get good barrier products if the production is limited to two blade- or rod coating stations, by means of minor modification. One concept, in the actual case, is to install simultaneous film transfer application in the first coating station, enabling double side differential treatment there. Applying barrier dispersion on the film side and coating color for print purpose or alternatively barrier on the other side. This station followed by a blade or Rod Coater. A concept still offering the possibility to produce existing products in the same way as before. Pilot trials are performed at UMV Coating Systems to demonstrate the properties for two different example products that can be achieved by the concept.
 
Daniel Ragnarsson | Commercial Director, UMV Coating Systems AB

Rebecca List, Conference Producer, Smithers

Rebecca List, Conference Producer, Smithers

Moderator: Scott McNutt, Consultant, Nextep Partners LLC

Functional coatings are applied to paper and paperboard substrates to provide resistance, or a barrier, against media such as oil and grease (OGR), water, water vapor (MVTR) and oxygen, for applications such as food packaging, food service and other non-food packaging.  Typical functional barrier coatings can be created by applying a solid coating or extruded film, a solvent based-coating or a water-based coating to the paper substrate using various means of coating applicators.  Today, there is increasing interest in developing recyclable and more sustainable approaches to producing these types of packages. 
 
This presentation focuses on water-based barrier coatings (WBBC) for OGR, water, MVTR and oxygen barrier performance, with the emphasis on creating coated systems that can achieve more than one barrier property, using multi-layer curtain coating (MLCC), in one application step.  Curtain coating has emerged as the premier low-impact, contour coating application method for coated paper and paperboard.  Significant research work to date and production experience on specialty papers and paperboard has focused on conventional coating techniques or single layer curtain coating.  More recent work has shown that multi-layer curtain coating has many advantages over these other methods.  One advantage of lower material cost is accomplished with the use of functional chemistry in confined layers where performance is optimized within the coating layered structure.  This allows applying consecutive layers of different polymer types, in one step, to achieve the appropriate performance. 
Don Ventresca | Binders Sr. Application Development Specialist, Trinseo LLC

With sales of C6 fluorochemistries (PerFluoro Alkyl Substances – PFAS) concluding in 2023, and single use plastic waste concerns on the rise, alternative oil and grease resistant (OGR) barriers are reaching new levels of demand.
 
OGR alternatives must meet a high standard for safety, performance, value, and sustainability. To date, starch has been found to meet these requirements for uncreased barriers; however, due to its brittle nature in ambient conditions, starch barriers typically fail when creasing is applied.
 
Primient researchers have recently developed a starch alternative which performs as a functional, biobased OGR replacement across both creased and uncreased applications.
Brad Hartong | Applications Development Scientist, Primient

Moderator: Steve Ottone, Industry Consultant

Sustainability implies we are closing the loop on the cycle of a particular aspect of our life experience.  The cycle begins with the need and desire to improve performance in a responsible and renewable way.  One certainty is that this sustainable approach results in something different, different in how we must act, collaborate and think about our new sustainable solutions.  This discussion explores the collaborative development of innovative bio-based polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) aqueous disperison barrier technology to displace fossil based chemistries, advancing sustainability goals and providing end of life options for paper based packaging. 
Irenée Philippe | Business Creation Manager, Kemira

Companies across the supply chain are creating sustainability goals and moving toward more sustainable materials every day. This panel will discuss how working together to use E&D and innovations to create dynamic partnerships leads to better sustainability and achieving goals. This panel will bring together experts to talk about:

• How mills, converters, and materials suppliers can all work together
• A look at current goals within their companies and importance in the industry
• How goals can be met and exceeded within sustainability plans

Moderator: Scott McNutt, Consultant, Nextep Partners LLC

Panelists:

• Eadaoin Quinn, Sustainable Packaging Senior Manager – Americas, Mars
• Scott Hyland, Applications Development Director, Ingredion
• Dave Magda, Director of Innovation, Pixelle Specialty Solutions

Additional Presenters:

• Vitor Godoy, PVOH Technical Service & Development Engineer, Kuraray
• David Chacon, PLANTIC Technical Service & Market Development Engineer, Kuraray

Regarding sustainability, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) based plastic films, containers, and coated papers are common for cutting packaging weight, preserving food quality, extending shelf life, and reducing food waste. Additionally, EVOH resins have emerged as the gas barrier of choice for recyclability and monomaterial packaging, favored over foil and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC). Kuraray’s product portfolio advances these sustainability value propositions to now include repulping, biodegradability, and bio-sourcing, through its polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and PLANTIC™ starch-based natural polymer, aqueous and thermoplastic technologies. Case studies of coffee and dry food packaging demonstrate grease barrier, and the comparative high gas and aroma barrier properties of EVOH, PVOH, and PLANTIC™ coated paper structures. Third-party trial results have led to certified repulpability and recyclability performance. Kuraray therefore bridges its expertise from plastic barrier packaging to paper. It expands its commercial portfolio in gas barrier technology to help paper converters meet the food packaging performance and sustainability metric challenges being committed to by retailers and brand owners.
Pablo Garcia | Market Development Manager, Kuraray

The innovative paper technology Papermorphosis® was originally created for imparting tailor-made stretch properties to papers and make them at the same time more resisting before breaking under tear as also TEA values are dramatically increasing. This technology is not free to be licensed anymore for the North American Territory.
 
Apart from this, also a novel corrugate in machine direction was generated out of standard papers without the need of stretch in such base papers. The ingoing web width of the novel longitudinal corrugate is not shrinking by the treatment. The waves are stable, the resulting corrugate can be rolled up or can be directly combined to liners or traditional corrugate. The process can be carried out either in-line at the paper producer or off-line at the converter.
 
This opens an interesting perspective of cost and material saving in the growing and sustainability oriented area of corrugated packaging.
Marion Sterner | Head of R&D, Gruppo X di X Gruppo srl

Panelists:

• Nuha Siddiqui, CEO and Co-Founder, erthos
• Janet Thoman, Compliance Director, Compost Manufacturing Alliance

Technology is constantly evolving, and it can help companies improve recycling, become more sustainable, and effectively compost. This panel will dive into the important relationship between technology and sustainability, discussing the current landscape and what could be possible as we look to the future.