Press Releases

Kurita Water Industries Ltd. (Head Office: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President: Michiya Kadota; "Kurita") announced today that it has received the Sasaki Award from the Japan Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (Japan TAPPI) in recognition of its System for Improving Productivity, Operating Efficiency, and Environmental Hygiene that is intended for the papermaking and pulp industry.

Japan TAPPI was established to encourage the development of the paper and pulp industry and associated industries through technological and academic exchanges between them. Its members include papermaking companies, relevant public offices, national and public research institutions, independent administrative agencies, and suppliers related to manufacturing equipment and chemicals. The Sasaki Award that Kurita received is granted by Japan TAPPI to companies and business operators that have contributed to the paper and pulp industry through remarkable achievements in technology or in research and development. It is one of the most prestigious awards in the industry. This year, three companies including Kurita were granted the award.

Paper-manufacturing processes include the pulp process, which produces pulp, the raw material of paper, and the papermaking process, in which paper is made from pulp. A large volume of water is used in both processes, and microorganisms are generated in circulation water. Generally, paper mills use a slime control agent* because problems caused by microorganisms will affect the product quality and the production itself. However, the treatment effect of a slime control agent is reduced when the microorganisms decompose pulp and other suspended solids sedimented in a material or other storage tank, which created the risk of product quality degradation, generation of odor due to water quality degradation, and other issues.

The system from Kurita, for which the Sasaki Award was granted, combines the existing slime control agent with aeration technology, Kurita’s proprietary technology for making the agent work effectively. It stirs water in the tank so that the raw material or other suspended solids will not sedimented at the bottom of the tank, thereby improving the treatment effect significantly and preventing issues that may arise in the paper-making process. Moreover, S.sensing^®, a water treatment management service that applies Kurita’s proprietary sensing technology, is applied for the system for continuous monitoring and control of water quality in each process, thereby optimizing the amount of slime control agent that is added.
Combining a water treatment chemical and facilities with the sensing technology, this system provides value that is directly related to customer productivity, such as improving product yield and the quality of paper and paperboards, and helps to improve environmental hygiene by preventing odor. In addition, the system also enables a reduction in operating cost. by optimizing the amount of slime control agent that is added, the system prevents an increase in chemical costs that may be caused by excessive injection. The Sasaki Award was granted in recognition of these comprehensive solutions for customers.

Under the Maximize Value Proposition 2022 (MVP-22) medium-term management plan, the Kurita Group aims to create shared value with society by providing comprehensive solutions that combine its products, technologies, and services for creating customer value.
The System for Improving Productivity, Operating Efficiency, and Environmental Hygiene has been introduced at more than ten plants in Japan as a comprehensive solution for the papermaking and pulp industry. Going forward, Kurita will expand its applications mainly to papermaking plants, including those manufacturing cardboards, household paper (such as tissue paper), and Western paper (such as newspaper), thereby strengthening operation of its business targeting papermaking and pulp industry in Japan and other countries.

(*)Slime control agent: A water treatment chemical that prevents issues that may be caused by contaminants formed by microorganisms in water, such as bacteria and algae