BASF launches with XELOREX™ a new brand for the paper industry
- 4-in-1 solution reduces cost and increases productivity
- Introduction starts in Europe
Ludwigshafen, Germany – April 11, 2013 – Under the brand name XELOREXTM, BASF has launched a unique solution for the production of paper and board. The new BASF brand of multifunctional 4-in-1 wet-end chemistry responds to the diverse challenges the paper industry is facing these days. Whether it comes to reduction of complexity in production, a higher stability of operations, a boost for productivity or an improved cost-efficiency – a broad range of needs are addressed by applying only a single product of the XELOREX product family.
“We want to serve the paper industry with solutions, not just chemicals,” says Dr. Uwe Liebelt, President of BASF’s Paper Chemicals division. “With XELOREX we offer an innovative chemistry that significantly improves various performance parameters in papermaking while reducing the total cost of operation. For our customers this represents a real competitive advantage.“
One solution for multiple benefits
XELOREX reduces complexity in the wet-end through its 4-in-1 functionality. It enables papermakers to achieve and improve the effects of retention, drainage, fixation and strength with just one product of the XELOREX product family. Further, it has the potential of replacing other wet-end chemicals up to an extent of 100%. Application of XELOREX also leads to proven enhancements of a variety of dry strength parameters. This can mean a 10–30% improvement in this area, depending on the basis weight and the paper grade.
Applying XELOREX, customers also gain clear improvements in stability of operations. The outstanding improvement of the initial wet web strength (IWWS) reduces the number of breaks and this way improves productivity. In addition, XELOREX provides enhancements of a variety of dry strength parameters, which is particularly important in the production of packaging paper and board.
Manufacturers of both, packaging and graphical papers benefit from the additional productivity increases that XELOREX yields. The improved IWWS, less stickies and clean water circuits lead to a higher efficiency due to less downtime. The reduced draw also permits to run machines at significantly increased speeds, another booster of productivity, if needed.
Finally, XELOREX means an improved cost-efficiency for papermakers as it targets a variety of cost drivers in the papermaking process. Through its powerful dry strength performance, expensive long fibers can be replaced with lower-cost short fibers. It also enables the increased use of recycled fibers. Additionally, XELOREX supports an increased filler loading, as it leads to a better integration of filler particles into the paper web. The increased filler loading means a cheaper way of replacing fiber material and improving printing properties and also helps to save steam since less fiber needs to be dried. Overall, specific fixed costs are diluted without compromising on the quality of paper and board.
Neels Hansen, Brand Manager XELOREX, Paper Chemicals Division, explains: “Considering the diverse benefits our customer can generate with the multifunctional features of XELOREX, this new brand represents a new standard for papermaking in a challenging market environment. In our eyes this marks a revolution for the paper production process.”
Introduction of the brand and the new XELOREX portfolio starts in Europe and will be gradually extended to the regions Asia Pacific, North and South America.
About BASF’s Paper Chemicals division
BASF’s Paper Chemicals division offers process chemicals to optimize costs and increase machine efficiency, functional chemicals to lend specific properties to paper, and finishing chemicals to improve the appearance and performance characteristics of printed paper and board. With this comprehensive portfolio, BASF is the leading supplier of paper chemicals worldwide. BASF established Paper Chemicals as a separate division when it acquired Ciba in April 2009. The ISO 9001-certified Paper Chemicals division operates sites in Europe, Asia and the Americas. For more information, go to www.paper-chemicals.basf.com
About BASF
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.P-13-221