Sappi, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, a manufacturer of coated fine paper, has invested more than 60 million euro in the conversion of Paper Machine 2 (PM2) at its Alfeld mill to ensure an increased supply of speciality papers and to meet high quality market demands, including those of the label industry.

Sappi has gained a lot of experience and special applications knowledge with silicone raw papers over the decades and now occupies a leading market position in Europe. “Before the conversion of PM2 in Alfeld, whose completion was celebrated in March 2014, the production of silicone raw papers was concentrated primarily on production line 4. The limited production capacity of this production line did not offer much scope for further growth outside Europe,” explains Gunnar Sieber, Sappi’s product group manager, release liner. “Thanks to the production capacities gained by the conversion, long-term and sustainable global deliveries can now be assured to meet the needs of a dynamically changing marketplace.”

According to Sieber, Algro Sol silicone papers are most commonly found in the graphics sector as carriers for self-adhesive PVC films. These include plotter films for lettering on windows and vehicles, printed films for car wraps and other technical advertising applications, or security films to protect against stone strikes. “Algro Sol substrates, often coated on both sides with silicone, are used as process papers for pre-impregnated fibers (prepregs) with composite materials. Carbon, glass fiber and plastic fiber materials are supplied to the shipping and aircraft industries, and these types of composite fiber materials are also used in the production of sports equipment such as tennis racquets,” Sieber says. “All Algro Sol substrates feature excellent siliconization capabilities,” states Sieber.
“The very pure product formulation inhibits plating and guarantees very good silicone hardening. In addition, special additives in the clay coating result in optimum silicone anchoring without silicone wear-off. These features ensure that polar groups of silicone modules find a high number of adhesion points on the clay surface.”