Ohio TAPPI Safety Seminar

Most people in the pulp and paper industry understand the nuts and bolts of what is safe to do and what is not in a pulp and paper mill. This seminar won't focus simply on best practices, or show photos of accidents at work. Instead it's focused on discovering what it takes to make safety an integral part of the culture of a company.

In order to provide a broad range of insight into how to accomplish this, the program features perspectives on safety from all interested parties including: employees, mill management, expert industry consultants and regulators (OSHA).

The meeting will be held in the Roverts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio. Meeting fees are $25 for TAPPI members who pre-register and $40 at the door. Non-member fees are $50.

To pre-register contact Glen Miller, Treasurer, at glen.miller@mohawkpaper.com.

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"Renewing the Renewable Industry", a December 7 TAPPI webcast production, featured Agenda 2020, the technology alliance driving innovation and renewal in the forest products industry. The event attracted more than 100 registrants from about a dozen countries.

Panelists included Agenda 2020 president and executive director Ron Brown; vice president and technology director John Cowie; MWV senior vice president-technology and forestry Mark Watkins, who serves as chair of agenda 2020; and Beth Cormier, vice president-R&D, SAPPI Fine Papers-N.A and Agenda 2020 vice-chair. Kathleen Bennett of Bennett Consulting served as moderator. Participants heard how this public-private consortium of companies, academia, and government offers a cost-effective research collaboration to promote development of new enabling technologies that can lead to new products, new markets, and new processes.

Agenda 2020's mission is to transform the industry by establishing the research priorities, driving collaborative research, and obtaining funding, striving to make the industry more sustainable—socially, environmentally, and economically.  The presentation will be available soon on TAPPI's website. 

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An Update from TAPPI's International Nanotechnology Division Officers

Division Chair: Sean Ireland – Verso Paper

Division Vice-Chair: Phil Jones - Imerys

Division Secretary: Ted Wegner – USDA Forest Service- Forest Products Laboratory

As the leadership team for TAPPI's new International Nanotechnology Division, we are really excited about the challenges of leading the Nanotechnology Division as it works to advance a broad range of activities to expand education, standards development and networking opportunities. Nanotechnology has great potential as a key technology to enable the development of a new generation of products based on traditional forest products as well as a range of other applications and renewable materials.

While much has been accomplished, we are only just beginning to see the commercial results of ongoing research and development efforts that illustrate the great potential of this technology. There are many opportunities to learn, get involved, and stay informed of new technical advances. Here are three.

International Conference on Nanotechnology for Renewable Materials

In its seventh year, TAPPI's annual nanotechnology event has been renamed to reflect both the expanding applications of cellulose beyond its fledgling origins in the pulp and paper industry, to the medical and automotive industries as well as application in the military. This year's event will take place in Montreal, Canada on June 5-7, 2012. Visit the event website for speaking opportunities, program details, and more.

International Standards Development

Launched late in 2011, the Division's first committee will work with international experts on coordinating standards development for nanotechnology. As nanotechnology moves from the research labs to industrial manufacturing to consumer products, new issues and discussion arise. Standards play a huge role in commerce and societal benefit. Find out more and join.

Advancements in Nanocellulose Research, Development and Commercialization

TAPPI is recruiting volunteers for the International Nanotechnology Division who can help identify advancements in renewable nanocellulose materials research, development and, most importantly, commercialization.

To learn more or join this exciting new division of TAPPI, email Mary Ann Cauthen, TAPPI Member Group Coordinator.

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TAPPI PRESS SPOTLIGHT!

Fundamentals of the Kraft Recovery Process
By: Dr. Jeff Empie

This book details the chemical engineering fundamentals of the kraft recovery process, including mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, phase separations, heat and mass transport phenomena, and reaction kinetics. Each kraft recovery unit operation, including multiple effect evaporation, recovery boiler operations, green liquor processing, causticizing, and white liquor processing is discussed in detail.

The text is ideal for senior or graduate level courses for pulp and paper, chemical, and mechanical engineers, as well as a valuable reference resource for practicing pulp mill engineers who want to better understand the kraft recovery process they operate each day. 

 Click here for more details.

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TAPPI member William "Bill" Bittle says that membership offers the best professional tools, experiences and training to help you get ahead of the competition, while at the same time making you more valuable and effective no matter what segment of the industry you are in.

"TAPPI presents a great networking experience that cannot be duplicated elsewhere," Bill says, and it is for that reason he always urges his "reports and peers to join TAPPI and tap into its knowledgebase, publications, training, and conferences." Find out more by reading this month's Member Spotlight .

Spotlight participants are recommended by fellow members and staff. If you would like to nominate a member just send their name (or names) to MemberSpotlight@tappi.org. We will forward a Spotlight Questionnaire  to fill out and return. We look forward to seeing you in the Spotlight!

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The TAPPI Board of Directors elections begin today, December 1, and will conclude on January 15, 2012.

Learn more about the TAPPI Board of Directors

 In March 2012, three directors will complete their terms. To fill these vacancies, a slate of three candidates has been proposed by the Nominating Committee:

• Michael Exner, Senior Vice President and General Manager - Containerboard Mills, RockTenn ·
• Steven J. Shifman, President and CEO, Michelman Inc.
• E. Clayton Teague, Former Director (Retired), National Nanotechnology Coordination Office

Elections have begun and conclude January 15, 2012. All TAPPI members are encouraged to vote.

Biographical profiles and candidate statements for these candidates are included on the online voting site. You may vote for or against the entire slate or for or against each candidate.

To vote online, follow these three easy steps:

1. Click on Election Services Corporation voting site and log in to vote.

2. Follow the steps to log in to the voting site:

A. Enter your Election Validation Number

B. Use the tab key or use your mouse, place cursor in the text box next to "Member Number". (Do not use your Enter key.)

C. Enter your TAPPI Member Number

D. Use the tab key or use your mouse to place the cursor over the "Login" button.

E. Click on the "Login" button. 3. View biographical information about each candidate (make sure your pop-up blockers are turned off) and cast your ballot.

If you have any questions about voting online, or wish to request a paper ballot, please contact Election Services Corporation by e-mail at tappihelp@electionservicescorp.com or call toll-free 1-866-720-HELP (4357), 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Can't find your member number? Contact TAPPI's Member Connection Center at +1-770-446-1400 or memberconnection@tappi.org The results of the election will be reported on www.tappi.org  in mid-January 2012 and in the March 2012 issue of Paper 360.

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