Södra Cell Begins Production of DuraPulp in Sweden

Södra Cell, Sweden, has begun production of the composite material DuraPulp at its facilities in Värö, Sweden. The renewable material is a biodegradable alternative to plastic.

During the past couple of years, a lamp and a child's chair have been made out of DuraPulp, attracting significant interest, the company notes, and commercial production of the new composite has now begun.

"A large number of companies have been in touch and are interested in this material. We are currently working with a number of partners who are testing DuraPulp as part of their production processes," said Henrik Wettergren, business area manager for graphic paper and specialty paper.

DuraPulp is the result of several years of collaboration between Södra and the research company Innventia. The starting point for the work was to create a new, fiber-based, biodegradable replacement for plastic. DuraPulp is made with a specially selected pulp from Södra Cell and a biopolymer. On further processing, these two components take on special properties such as moisture resistance, strength, and hardness.

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