Product Description: Repulped paper is suitable for drawing paper, permanent document paper, filter papers and pads, file covers, duplicating papers, tissue papers, etc. The paper has high tensile bursting, tearing and double fold strength as compared to mill made paper and it does not turn to brittle due to aging. Repulped paper has good texture for drawing and writing.
Market Potential: Average annual import of paper products between 1985 and 1994 was 10,832 tons or 10.832 million kgs. Average annual foreign exchange expenditure for the paper products was Birr 27.42 million. Domestic Production of paper products between 2000 and 2004 was about 9700 tons per year on the average. Projected demand for paper products was estimated to be 55100 tons for 2006 and 101000 tons for 2015. This shows that there is plenty of space to substitute imports by domestic production.
source of Raw material: The main raw materials for repulped waste paper are cotton/hosiery rags, waste paper, agro-fibres (straw, bagasse…) other additives ( caustic soda, bleaching powder). All these raw materials can be obtained from local sources. The fact that these raw materials can be found in the country is an encouraging factor to produce repulped waste paper locally.
Process and Technology: The main production processes are preliminary treatment, beating, and sheet formation, pressing, peeling, drying, calendaring and packing. In the pretreatment unit, cotton rags are cut into small bits with power operated rag choppers. In the case of agro-fibers, the material, after chopping, is cooked in a small open digester with low percentage of alkali. Cut and dusted rags are beaten to pulp stock in small power operated Hollander beater with or without bleaching. The material is washed by means of a washer drum followed by further beating. Addition of normal fillers/loadings and dyeing and sitting chemical as required for the end product is also accomplished during beating. Sheet formation is carried out by draining water from a dilute fibre mix through a fine screen and both dry the mat thus formed by dewatering with rollers, drying on heated rolls, and smoothing with calendars. The calendared paper is hand sorted, edges trimmed with the help of power operated cutting machine and packed. Main machinery and equipment needed include open digester, rag chopper, beater, Hollander beater with drum washer and accessories, auto Kats with pair of moulds and stock pump.
Estimated Investment: For a plant that will produce 90 tons of repulped waste paper per year, the estimated investment will be:-
Building/shade 700m2 at Birr 1500/m2 = Birr 1,100,000
Machinery ………………………………..…= Birr 11,100,000
Working capital ………….……………….. = Birr 500,000
Total = Birr 12,700,000
Benefits: Saves foreign exchange and regional financial resources, brings in financial resources to the Region, and utilizes materials that could have been thrown away, introduces new skills and technology.
Location: Bahir Dar, Debre Birahan.