N.Z. WOOD PULP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 65, 11 August 1947, Page 7

N.Z. WOOD PULP

EXPERIMENT WITH NEWSPRINT TRIALS VERY SUCCESSFUL Newsprint made from pulp prepared from New Zealand pinus insignis has arrived in the Dominion and will be used experimentally by daily newspapers. The paper manufacturing trials were carried out in Australia, and further supplies, now being converted into cement bags, will be shipped later. The Commissioner of State Forests i,Mr Skinner) said recently that although several production difficulties had been encountered the trials had been very successful and showed definite promise that a high-grade product could be obtained from New Zealand-grown wood. The Australian mills were designed and equipped to handle principally the short-fibred eucalyptus pulp produced in Australia, and some of the equipment was unsuitable for handling the long fibred pine pulp which was, moreover, a new material to the operators. The tests were too short to permit of the highest possible quality being achieved, but this was because the mills could spare no more time without seriously interrupting their own production.

The paper produced at the Australian Paper Manufacturers’ mill at Fairfield (Melbourne) for multiwall cement bags was favourablj’' commented upon by officials. If would be converted into cement bags and the bags shipped to New Zealand.

Newsprint was manufactured by Australian Newsprint Mills, Pty., in Tasmania. Since the mill had no equipment to remove dirt from the pulp the newsprint had some specks in it. It was also impossible to obtain the necessary dye to improve the colour and the newsprint was therefore its natural shade, which was a pale cream. At Burnie in Tasmania good quality bond, bank, cream wove and M.F. printing paper had been produced. The first two were made from insignis pine pulp and the others from a mixture of insignis pine and eucalyptus pulp.