Through funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program, Domtar Inc. will develop and commercialize a portfolio of new, premium-value grades of northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp.
This will be the first commercial manufacture of Domtar’s modified fibre based on softwood pulp and the first time that cost-effective, high-performance blends of modified fibre and NBSK are commercially produced.
This process could result in up to a 50-percent increase in the fibre-bonding performance properties compared with conventional NBSK grades, which can be used to produce writing- and specialty-grade papers, tissues and paper towels, as well as in non-traditional, growing and value-added markets such as fibre-reinforced materials, including cement and fibreglass.
This project aligns with the goals of the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program through the demonstration of a new, innovative technology in Canada’s forest sector.
The IFIT program was first introduced in Budget 2010 to help secure a more prosperous future for Canada’s forest industry and the communities that depend on it. The Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2014 committed an additional $90.4 million over four years to recapitalize the IFIT program in support of the ongoing renewal of Canada’s forest sector.
The IFIT program catalyzes investment in commercial or near-commercial innovative technologies in the Canadian forest sector. These investments bridge the gap between the initial research and development stage and the implementation of innovative technology.
The IFIT program builds upon previous and ongoing federal investments in research, development and the deployment of innovative technologies in the forest sector. It is part of a broad federal strategy that includes expanding market opportunities for the forest sector in North America and overseas.
For more information, visit Natural Resources Canada on the Web.
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