3rd biennial Fibre Engineering 2011

This year's conference will be collocated with 4th annual Biorefining for the Pulp & Paper Industry and will provide an ideal platform for papermakers to learn about all important developments in the industry.

Pira International's 3rd biennial Fibre Engineering conference focuses on fibre modification techniques and process solutions which stand out as being novel and innovative with the aim of providing enhanced strength, barrier and surface properties and reduced costs. Leading scientific developments from diverse fields like nanotechnology, genetic engineering and biotechnology will be covered in presentations from SAPPI, Novozymes, Mondi, Innventia, Buckman, Metso, VTT Technical Research Centre, Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures, Kyushu University and many others. Go to the Agenda tab to find out more!

The breeding of new and more efficient fibre sources and the ability to create innovative uses for fibre products has changed dramatically in the last five years. This conference comes at a time when continuously accelerating strength, bulk, stiffness, refinability, runnability, barrier and surface properties for papermakers are almost taken for granted and improvements in the pulp and paper process must constantly deliver better end product quality. In response, papermakers are turning to leading edge scientific developments from diverse fields like nanotechnology, genetic engineering and biotechnology to find new approaches.

Our programme for 2011 focuses on fibre modificaton techniques and process solutions which stand out as being novel and innovative with the aim of providing enhanced strength, barrier and surface properties and reduced costs.

5 reasons to attend

• Understand how fibre engineering can unlock improvements within the pulp and paper process to improve end product quality
• Update yourself with latest advances in fibre modification, measurement and sources and explore how enzymes can be utilised to alter fibre and paper performance
• Learn about new research into nanocellulose potential and non-wood fibres for improved end product quality from alternative fibres
• Learn how new fibre engineering technologies can positively impact the bottom line and reduce operational costs
• Network with experts and cutting-edge researchers at this dynamic meeting and discover key drivers that are pushing fibre engineering technology forward

Who should attend

Pira's Fibre Engineering programmes are aimed at technical and research & development professionals within the pulp and paper manufacturers and their supporting supply chain such as chemicals, enzymes, processing equipment and machinery. The event will be of benefit to all paper grades and also specialty grades, security papers and nonwovens manufactuers. The conference will also attract academic researchers and industrial technologists looking to optimise fibre performance and identify new fibre sources.

Pre-conference workshop - Tuesday 24 May 2011

2pm - 5pm

Hemicelluloses and the wood based biorefinery

Led by:
Dr. Thomas E. Amidon Professor SUNY ESF and Director of the Empire State Paper Research Institute (ESPRI) and the Biorefinery Research Institute (BRI)

The workshop will cover:

• extraction
• separation
• concentration
• conversion
• potential new products
• uses of residual extracted wood

Conference Day 1 - Wednesday 25 May 2011

9.00
Opening remarks from the session Chair & Conference Programme Advisory Board Member
Dr Charlie Clarke, Technology Centre Manager - Pretoria Technology Centre, SAPPI, Southern Africa

9.10
Opportunities for pulp products with enhanced properties in industry
- defining the market
- defining the product attributes - function, mechanical properties, aesthetics and haptics
- emulation not imitation - lessons from our forbears, what was done and why, the folly of imitating plastics
- renewability - the wider palette of materials
- enabling technologies - borrowing from other sectors
- recyclability - re-use or energy generation?
- wider implications - economy, industry and society
Dr Nigel Jopson, Chief Consultant and Technical Manager Paper and Board, PIRA INTERNATIONAL, UK

Fibre and The Pulp Mill

9.45
Advances in enzymatic fibre engineering
- selective use of enzymes to improved fiber characteristics for end-use:
- fibre strengthening
- reducing refining energy
- imparting wet strength
- improving drainage for enhanced productivity
- altering fiber surface characteristics
Greg C. DeLozier, Senior Research Scientist, NOVOZYMES, Denmark

10.25
Understanding the fibre and related refining characteristics of northern and southern bleached softwood kraft
- comparing wood anatomy measurements of selected softwood tree species sourced from both the Northern and SouthernHemisphere
- measurement of fibre morphology after Kraft pulping and bleaching before refining
- comparative refined pulp properties using a 12" single disc pilot refiner
- relating wood anatomy of the tree and the fibre morphology of unrefined pulp to final refined pulp properties
- identifying optimum refining parameters and relative refined strength potential for each of the selected species
Brendon Palmer, Fibre Processing Manager, SAPPI, South Africa

11.00 Morning refreshments will be served

11.30
Exploiting the full strength potential of fibre by controlling the temperature in the fibre line
- lab trials regarding the influence of the degree of refining and temperature on fibre and paper properties
- hot and long storage deteriorating the breathability of unbleached softwood pulp by lignin leaching and changes on fibre surface properties
- results from PFI mill and lab trials of cooked unbleached pulps from spruce and pine and one industrial pulp treated in a reactor at various temperatures: removal of residual lignin, hemicellulose leaching, fibre curl, tensile index
Johannes Leitner, Project Manager, MONDI FRANTSCHACH & WOOD KPLUS, Austria

12.05
Fractionation and refining of pulp fractions - a potential for paper property tailoring
- hydrocyclone fractionation of an unbleached kraft pulp to obtain an earlywood and a latewood enriched fraction.
- refining response of the fractions
- fines generation during refining
- examining the fibre properties and the paper property development during refining of the different fractions.
Marie Bäckström, Research Manager - Fibre Engineering & Testing, Business Area Material Processes, INNVENTIA, Sweden

12.40 Lunch will be served for all speakers and delegates

Session Chair & Conference Programme Advisory Board Member
Dr Ulla-Britt Mohlin, Senior Project Manager - Process & Product Innovation, INNVENTIA, Sweden

14.00
Fibre modification enzyme: a new green technology to save refining energy
- green technology and sustainability factors
- energy reduction through improving drainage and reducing steam
- beyond refining: ability to increase or decrease sheet porosity
- strength improvements: unlocking the key to refining
Inge Loosvelt, Product Manager - Enzymes and Optimyze, BUCKMAN, Belgium

14.35
Stock preparation and refiner control with optimisation
- controlling refining for better paper tensile and tear
- pulp and paper quality assessment performed by a Quality Window concept
- applying the right amount of energy in the appropriate refiner, fiber length can be preserved for target freeness, improving tear and tensile properties
- shifting the Quality Window to obtain more paper with higher tensile without sacrificing tear
- target and actual improvements achieved at Mill A (case study)
Samuli Lehtonen, Application Engineer, METSO AUTOMATION, Finland & Randy Loberg & Brenton Fox, Senior Application Engineers, METSO AUTOMATION, US

15.10 Afternoon refreshments will be served

Fibre and Wood

15.30
Fibre and wood species
- fibre measurements
- fibre length and fibre width
- fibre populations and the definition of fines
- the relevance of differences in fibre morphology between species
- fibre morphology and products
Dr Charlie Clarke, Technology Centre Manager - Pretoria Technology Centre, SAPPI, Southern Africa

16.05
Fibre modification: strengthening softwood fibres with hemicelluloses
- modern softwood kraft fibers are uniquely suited for packaging and reinforcement applications; the next generation of these fibers will continue to pursue attributes
- a most promising approach for enhancing sheet strength properties is to increase the hemicellulose content of SW kraft pulp fibers and this approach is now well documented to enhance tensile, burst, bulk and refinability
- recent studies showing that the addition of high xylan content biomass resources into a softwood kraft cook can provide a facile and direct method of providing enhanced strength properties
Dr Arthur J. Ragauskas, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute of Paper Science and Technology, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, US

16.40 Summary of day one from the Chair

16.50 Close of day one

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Conference Day 2 - Thursday 26 May 2011

Fibre Modification

09.10
Opening remarks from the Session Chair & Conference Programme Advisory Board Member:
Dr Angeles Blanco, COMPLUTENSE UNIVERSITY OF MADRID, Spain

09.15
Surface modification by physical adsorption and enzyme additives
- surface modification by polyelectrolytes and amphiphilic block copolymers
- use of polyampholytes in papermaking
- measurement of dynamics of adsorption, adsorbed mass and viscoelasticity of the adsorbed layer and impact in fibre performance
- polyelectrolyte multilayers
Dr Orlando J. Rojas, Professor Forest Biomaterials, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY, US & Finland Distinguished Professor, AALTO UNIVERSITY, & Chair - Division of Cellulose & Renewable Materials, AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, US

09.50
From wood fibre modification to paper technology: properties of fibres modified with DMDHEU and glutaraldehyde
- lessons from wood modifications
- modifying chemicals
- cell wall matrix
- fibre properties
Dr Stergios Adamopoulos, Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry and Management of Natural Environment Technological Education, INSTITUTE OF LARISSA, Greece, and
Dr Carsten Mai, Department of Wood Biology & Wood Products, GEORG-AUGUST UNIVERSITY OF GOETTINGEN, Germany

10.25
Characterisation of dissolved spruce xylan in kraft cooking
- xylan dissolved during kraft cooking and later re-deposited on fibre surfaces has been shown to affect the paper strength properties
- earlier studies have shown that the xylan characteristics, rather than the amount of xylan, influence the strength enhancing effect of xylan
- in order to obtain an optimal use of the xylan, it is of interest to understand what the beneficial xylan characteristics are and how cooking conditions affect the characteristics
- in this study, kraft cooking of spruce chips was performed at varied cooking conditions and the xylan in the black liquor was characterised
Dr Elisabet Brännvall, Editor-in-chief - NORDIC PULP AND PAPER RESEARCH JOURNAL, Assistant Senior Lecturer - Fibre & Polymer Technology, KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Sweden

11.00 Morning refreshments will be served

Non Wood Fibres

11.30
A review of emerging biomaterials and composites
- novel bio-based hybrid materials: benefits over plastics are sustainability, recyclability, high stiffness/weight ratio and competitive barrier properties
- reviewing examples of the rapid development in biomaterials and composites
- nanocellulose:offering mechanical properties
- foamed biomaterials enabling marked weight reduction
- hybrid constructions of nanoparticles and natural polymers indicating new functions
- structures combining bio-based and inorganic thin film for high performance
Jussi Manninen, Development Manager, VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE, Finland

12.05
Catalyzing the agricultural fibre supply chain for pulp & paper
- wheat, straw, hemp and flax for alternative fibre sources for functionally different properties
- developing and demonstrating the supply chain to potential investors for paper and other bioindustrial products
- reviewing pulp properties and processing of different agricultural fibres
- how can the supply chain to deliver agriculturally based pulp be improved and demonstrated?
Laura McIlveen, Fibre Processing Research Engineer, ALBERTA INNOVATES - TECHNOLOGY FUTURES, Canada

12.40 Lunch will be served for all delegates and speakers

Session Chair & Conference Programme Advisory Board Member:
Dr Nigel Jopson, Chief Consultant and Technical Manager Paper and Board, PIRA INTERNATIONAL, UK

14.00
A novel biopolymer for cellulose modifications
- development of a novel biopolymer with excellent adsorption to cellulose
- introduction of many types of functional groups via the biopolymer
- improved surface properties of cellulose materials
- green chemistry
Marcus Ruda, Scientist, SWETREE TECHNOLOGIES, Sweden

14.35
Nanofibres prepared from bio-based materials using aqeous counter collision
- nanofibres
- aqeous counter collision
- heirarchical structure
- nano-pulverisation
Dr Tetsuo Kondo, Professor of Biomaterial Design Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, Japan

15.10
Utilization of nanoscale cellulosic building blocks for advanced nanostructured materials
- brief overview of the current research in the Swedish Center for Biomimetic Fiber Engineering (Biomime) and the KTH Advanced Carbohydrate Materials Consortium (CarboMat)
- preparation of nanoscale cellulosic building blocks
- surface modification and applications of cellulose nanocrystals
- high strength cellulosic nanopaper
- foam and aerogel from nanofibrillated cellulose
Dr Qi Zhou, Swedish Centre For Biomimetic Fibre Engineering (Biomime) & Assistant Professor, Division of Glycoscience, School of Biotechnology, ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Sweden

15.55 Summary from the Chair

16.00 Close of Conference

SEE THE PROGRAMME OF THE COLLOCATED CONFERENCE - BIOREFINING FOR PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY 2011 HERE!

Venue

Pira's Biorefining conference will be collocated with 3rd Fibre Engineering conference at the Hotel Barcelo Sants in Barcelona. Barcelo Sants, a popular venue with Pira delegates due to its convenient location and outstanding conference facilities, is situated on top of the Central Train Station Sants Estacio in the heart of Barcelona and has a direct connection to Barcelona International Airport. The Barcelo Sants offers gourmet cuisine, arguably the best meeting facilities in Barcelona, free wifi, a gym and sauna, a shopping centre and is four minutes from Catlunya Square making it an ideal venue to explore the city.

Delegates are responsible for booking their own travel and accommodation. To reserve your accommodation at a discounted rate by 13 May 2011, visit our agent Origin Events on www.origineventsaccommodation.co.uk

Directions

About Barcelona

Set on a plain rising gently from the sea to a range of wooded hills, Barcelona is Spain's most cosmopolitan city and one of the Mediterranean's busiest ports. Restaurants, bars and clubs are always packed, as is the seaside in summer. You might get the impression it's dedicated exclusively to hedonism, but it's a hard-working, dynamic place hoping to place itself in the vanguard of 21st-century Europe with a heavy concentration of hi-tech and biomedical business. To find out more, visit links listed below:
www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/barcelona
www.timeout.com/barcelona/
www.barcelonaturisme.com/

Delegates:

Early Bird price: £899 (valid until 22 March 2011)

Standard price: £999

Please note that a late booking fee of £100 will apply to all bookings made after 8 May 2011

NOTE - All delegates automatically get access to the co-located event, Biorefining for Pulp & Paper Industry 2011.

Exhibitors and sponsors:

A range of sponsorship and exhibition based packages are available to organisations looking to develop their business within the biorefining sector. Participating in the conference will not only provide an excellent platform for your business in terms of raising company profile and offering excellent networking opportunities with industry leaders, it will demonstrate that your business is serious about biorefining and is at the forefront of the latest developments within the field.

For more information on how this conference can benefit your company, please contact Paul Squires on +44 (0) 1372 802051 or contact us online by clicking on the Enquiries icon.

Cancellations
Cancellations will be accepted and fees refunded (less 20% handling charge) only if made in writing and received ten working days before the event. Bookings cannot be cancelled nor fees refunded thereafter. If an invoice has been issued but funds have not been received, the above cancellation policy still applies. Substitutions may be made at any time, please notify the Operations Manager, Jo Stone +44 (0) 1372 802 044 or contact us online.

Pira's 4th Biorefining Conference & 3rd Fibre Engineering conference programmes have been fully researched and updated with input and direction from :

Dr Annita Westenbroek, Program Manager, Dutch Centre of Competence Paper & Board, & Director, THE DUTCH BIOREFINERY CLUSTER, The Netherlands

Dr Graham Moore, Strategy Manager
PIRA INTERNATIONAL, UK

Dr Charlie Clarke
Technology Centre Manager - Pretoria Technology Centre
SAPPI, Southern Africa

Dr Nigel Jopson, Chief Consultant and Technical Manager Paper and Board
PIRA INTERNATIONAL, UK

Dr Ulla-Britt Mohlin, Senior Project Manager - Process & Product Innovation
INNVENTIA, Sweden

Dr Angeles Blanco
COMPLUTENSE UNIVERSITY OF MADRID, Spain