Resumen de Global trends of mineral pigments in paper
Global trends from 1972-2001 have seen a dramatic decline in the use of kaolin as a filler, being mainly replaced by calcium carbonate (PCC and GCC). Filler pigments utilised in 1972 in North America (mainly the US) were kaolin 92%, PCC 6%, GCC 1% and talc 1%. With the onset of satellite PCC plants, mainly by SMI, as well as lime from limestone being readily available, the use of PCC fillers increased rapidly; 13% in 1988, 62% in 1996 and 63% in 2001. This resulted in a decrease in the use of kaolin from 92% in 1972 to 82% in 1988, 33% in 1996 and 20% by 2001.
CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industry) figures show (Fig.3) that from 1991 to 2012 the use of kaolin and calcium carbonate (GCC and PCC) for both filler and coating use increased from 8.0 - 12.8m tonnes, with kaolin remaining much the same at 4m tonnes. Whilst the use of kaolin has remained the same, calcium carbonate use (both GCC and PCC) has more than doubled from 4-8.8m tonnes. In 1991, the split was 50% kaolin: 50% calcium carbonate (GCC and PCC) and in 2012 the split was 30% kaolin: 70% calcium carbonate (GCC and PCC). The highest figures were in 2007 with 13.5m tonnes; 4.1m tonnes kaolin (30%) and 9.4m tonnes calcium carbonate (70%).
During 2013, it was estimated that 48m tonnes of GCC, PCC, kaolin and talc was used globally in P&B, with 29.5m tonnes of coating (61% of total) and 18.5m tonnes of filler (39% of total). The split of GCC, PCC, kaolin and talc is shown in Table 2 on the basis of tonnage, and in Table 3 as percentages. Overall the 48m tonnes is dominated by GCC (65%), followed by kaolin (18%), PCC (13%) and talc (4%). For coating, the split is GCC (71%), kaolin (24%), PCC (3%) and talc (2%). Filler is dominated by calcium carbonate at 83% (54% GCC and 29% PCC), kaolin (10%) and talc (7%).
