Use Of Talc In Paper

Paper industry is one of the major consumers of talc (especially Europe & Japan) as talc used as paper filler has a minimal negative effect on sheet strength but improves ink receptivity by a large margin. It also enhances opacity & brightness and reduces gloss. The reason why talc consumption is paper industry is growing is because of the availability of high quality talc. It has a distinct weight advantage of specific gravity of 2.8 vs. 4.2 for TiO2 when used as a Titanium dioxide extender in paper. This becomes extremely important as postal rates increase. Talc has the unique property of preferentially wetting oily substances in the presence of water which makes it extremely effective in pitch control. Pitch & other oleo resinous components of paper pulps cause serious manufacturing problems if not controlled.

Talc when micronized to a surface area of 12m2/g or more, absorbs the pitch and helps in preventing accumulations that would otherwise deposit on the rolls, wire, and other parts of the paper machine. The talc products are used to pigment starch, latex, or alpha protein coating colors. Ultra fine talc products are also used with calcium carbonate, clay and titanium dioxide pigments to control rheological properties, gloss, calendaring, opacity, ink holdout & brightness. OMFILL exhibits the following characteristics.

• Whiteness
• Brightness
• Controlled top size
• Platy particle shape
• Opacifying power
• Low abrasion
• Particle size (8 to 12m median)