Harima Chemicals Group, Inc.

Businesses and Products

Paper Chemicals Business

Improving the Quality of the Paper We Use Everyday

Harima products known as paper chemicals are utilized in a surprising number of everyday paper items.

We offer a wide array of products including sizing agents for preventing (water-based) inks from bleeding, paper strengthening agents for structural fortification, and coating agents for improving and reinforcing paper surfaces.

Another priority we are pursuing is engineering innovative new chemicals such as those for reducing what would have been wasted paper by increasing the recycling rate of used paper.

Sizing Agents

Sizing agents control the water absorbency of paper to prevent ink bleed and thus provide good writing performance and printability to the paper. The high water repellency property of rosin makes it a useful sizing agent in its natural state. However, we use independently developed techniques to further refine rosin and produce sizing agents specifically customized to a diverse range of paper manufacturing processes. Rosin sizing agents are generally referred to as internal sizing agents, something that is added to the pulp and water mixture (raw material) during the papermaking process. In addition to internal sizing agents, we also engineer, manufacture and sell surface sizing agents applied to surface of the finished paper.

Image : Sizing Agents

Paper Strengthening Agents

Used paper has become a common ingredient in the raw materials for newspaper and paperboard known as recycled papers in the end. Paperboard, which is to become corrugated cardboard, and newspaper rank first and second of all paper products in recycling ratio. The more used paper used, however, directly reduces the strength of recycled paper. Paper strengthening agents have the important task of strengthening paper-based products containing a large percentage of used paper. The main constituent of these agents is water-soluble polymer. We have successfully applied our unique water polymerization techniques acquired over many years to engineering highly functional paper strengthening agents that improves the strength of paperboard and newspaper. As is the case with sizing agents, these agents can be added as internal strengthening agents during the middle of papermaking process or to the paper surface as a surface strengthening agents afterwards. We are proud to play a part in improving the quality of paper products like paperboard and newspaper with our vast lineup of paper chemicals tailored for specialized manufacturing processes.

Image : Paper Strengthening Agents

Coating Agents・Barrier Coatings

Coating agents are applied to the surface of finished paper products to improve their performance. Our extensive product portfolio can enhance paper strength, slip resistance, water repellency and water resistance.
Water-based barrier coatings are applied to paper surfaces, in lieu of plastic conventionally used to laminate paper, thereby improving product sustainability.

Image : Coating Agents・Barrier Coatings

Process Improvement Agents・Pitch Control Agents

Retention aids used for pulp deinking (DIP) applications are added to recycled paper to remove printing inks and other unwanted elements, enhancing paper recyclability. Pitch control agents inhibit pitch deposits which can appear in the paper making process, which improves process productivity and quality of finished products.

Image : Process Improvement Agents・Pitch Control Agents