The alliance allows Borax and Luzenac to combine forces in terms of technical and customer service, as well as industry expertise. Both companies are members of the Rio Tinto group, a world leader in safely supplying the earth's mineral resources to society.

Technological innovation promises cost and energy savings

Borax has been working with kraft mills throughout North America to introduce borate autocausticizing technology. In this application, borates react with a portion of the sodium carbonate in the recovery boiler to form a borate compound. When hydrated in the smelt dissolving tank, the borate compound converts to sodium hydroxide.

The process reduces lime and energy requirements, decreases lime mud disposal, and requires little or no capital investment to implement. Borate autocausticizing trials have also shown no change in pulp quality - as measured by viscosity, brightness and strength.

"Borate autocausticizing will reduce raw material cost and energy usage for mills with lime kiln capacity limitations," said Chuck Bair, Borax's borate autocausticizing project manager. "Even in mills without capacity limitations, borate autocausticizing still holds the potential for energy and cost savings."

Established industry relationships support efficient implementation

Luzenac North America's role as the supplier of choice among pulp, paper and board companies stretches back more than 50 years. Luzenac supplies these industries with talc for use as a coating pigment and as a pitch control agent, and is currently promoting talc as filler in paper.

In both uncoated and coated papers, talc improves how ink sets on the paper and reduces surface friction, which offers paper mills and print houses both process and product benefits. Luzenac talc's special properties can also improve paper appearance and reduce ink scuff in offset papers.

Used as pitch control agents in the printing process, Luzenac talcs envelope sticky particles, thereby preventing their agglomeration and deposition. In speciality papers, including colored papers and labels, Luzenac talcs' special properties help to improve quality and production efficiencies.

"Through years of developing industry-specific products and services, we have gained a thorough understanding of the paper-making process, its vast array of end products and the performance parameters those processes and products must meet," said Kent Cutler, Vice President Sales & Marketing for Luzenac North America. "This breadth and depth put us in a unique position to help introduce Borax's new technology, and help support our customers implement it efficiently."

The Borax-Luzenac alliance is currently reviewing kraft mills - from among their existing and potential customer base - that face challenges in chemical recovery that can best be meet through borate autocausticizing technology. The partnership benefits mills through enhanced technical and logistical service, quicker response, and continuous attention to mill issues and concerns.

About Rio Tinto Borax
Borax mines one of two world-class borate deposits on the planet and supplies nearly half the global demand for refined borates. The company is the acknowledged world leader in borate chemistry and technology development. Borates are minerals containing boron, the fifth element on Periodic Table. Trace amounts exist in rock, soil and water. Boron is one of seven essential micronutrients for plants, and part of a healthy human diet. Refined borates can be found in a wide variety of household and commercial products, including glass, fiberglass, ceramics, soap and detergents, personal care products, fertilizers and wood preservatives. For more information, visit www.borax.com.

About Luzenac
Luzenac is a market-focused talc producer. As world leader in its field, Luzenac is committed to setting the standards for the talc industry in innovation, technical assistance, product quality, and social and environmental responsibility. Every year, Luzenac produces, ships and sells more than 1.4 million tons of talc from more than 30 talc mines and processing plants in Europe, North and Central America and Australia. Talc is a naturally occurring mineral used in wide range of applications including paper, plastics, personal care products, ceramics, rubber, agricultural products, roofing and wastewater treatments. For more information, visit www.luzenac.com.