We are proud to announce that PETROFER won The Best Sustainability Project award in the “Large Enterprises, Social Responsibility” category at the Sofidel 2021 3SAwards.
Sofidel – The Company
Sofidel is one of the world’s largest producers of paper for hygienic and domestic use. The Group places strategic importance on sustainability for growth and development and is committed to reducing the impact on the natural capital and maximising the social benefits with the aim of creating shared added value for all its stakeholders.
Every year Sofidel hands out an award to acknowledge the best practices and improvement actions on social and environmental responsibility by its national and international suppliers.
The award-winning project
PETROFER’s award-winning project focused on a water-based embossing additive without a flash point. This lubricant is used in the converting stage of the manufacturing process of tissue paper. The technical team of judges were impressed by the environmental reasons behind the research and development of this project. However, what really moved them, was the social responsibility aspect behind all this. PETROFER takes great care of the well-being of workers within production plants, this issue of safety is often a huge problem in the paper industry.
Reasons behind the project
The oil that is usually used in the embossing process of tissue paper production has a low flashpoint. Because of the electrical charge on the converting machine, there are often sparks and this, combined with the aerosol mist of the oil, means a high risk of fire. These circumstances are a huge safety risk for the workers and the reason of high costs, to repair the machines after incidents of fire.
Apart from these issues, the manufacturing process of tissue paper causes other challenges. The alternative process, based on silicone oil, also has disadvantages. Most of the silicone oil available in Europe is imported from China, its supply is currently facing several logistical challenges. Due to the high energy consumption used in producing the silicon oil, the process is extremely expensive and environmentally unfriendly. It also poses a danger, as it is very slippery and there is a high risk for the workers to fall, if some of the oil gets on the floor.
The new product
Because of all these disadvantages, PETROFER made it their goal to apply its extensive knowhow to find a solution that solves not just the environmental issues, but also the social responsibility problems.
Published: 14 February 2022
Do you have problems with the dry strength properties and quality of your finished paper roll? Do you spend too much energy on refining to get the required qualities? Have you already optimised your process to the fullest and still not achieved your efficiency goals?
