Anmol Polymers has set up a new manufacturing facility in Telangana to reduce lead times and better support the paper mills in Southern India. It is looking forward to working towards a Total Chemical Management (TCM) program for specialty chemicals, which includes majorly all process chemicals from pulp mill to ETP. They will be concentrating on the evolving sector of packaging boards with coating chemicals. Mr. Sagar Sharma, Director at Anmol Polymers Private Limited, further revealed during an exclusive interaction with Paper Mart that they were actively working on reduction of fresh water consumption in paper mills.
Paper Mart: Please provide details about your manufacturing setup in Hyderabad and its role in supporting the paper mills in the southern region.
Sagar Sharma: We have recently set up a manufacturing unit in Telangana, where we are manufacturing sizing chemicals, surface sizing, strength additives, defoamers, cooking aids etc. The purpose of moving to this location is to cut down the lead times and freight cost. This region has a number of major paper mills, which prefer to work with vendors within a close radius for the aforesaid reasons. We are confident that this new facility will complement the company’s long term vision in future.
PM: What is your product portfolio? What are the latest products and innovations in this segment?
SS: Anmol Polymers is working towards a Total Chemical Management (TCM) program for specialty chemicals, which includes majorly all process chemicals from pulp mill to ETP. Apart from normal functional chemicals, we are trying to develop a ‘problem-solving approach’. Of late, we have been focusing more on odor & slime control, oil & grease repellency and tissue paper processing. There is still a large amount of specialty papers being imported in India due to limitations of furnish/raw materials. We are trying to bridge the gap with our specialty products, especially dry/wet strength agents.
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PM: Could you elaborate on the sustainability and water management initiatives adopted by your company?
SS: We are actively working on the application of coagulants, flocculants & de-colorants, which help paper mills to reduce their fresh water consumption. The idea is to reduce the fresh water usage without compromising on the properties in the final paper such as shade, strength or smell. The application of right products with right dosing equipment helps to maintain the necessary parameters. Anmol Polymers also adopts the same practices in its unit and has been successful in becoming a Zero Discharge unit. In future, more stringent measures may have to be adopted, hence we have always tried to invest more in the space of environmental sustainability.
PM: What types of pulp mill chemicals does your company supply? How do they improve the efficiency and quality of pulp production?
SS: Our comprehensive pulp mill products help to reduce fiber degradation and odor in cooking with better brightness and strength properties. They keep the system ‘foam-free’ with increased plant throughput and lower soda loss. The ‘new-age’ scale control program is our latest innovation, keeping in mind the Indian ground water and raw material conditions. Our products help to increase overall pulp mill efficiency by focusing on better utilization of available resources in a cost-effective manner to cooking and bleaching chemical requirements, in order to keep the system and surrounding environment healthy.
PM: How do your specialty chemicals help address the specific challenges faced by the paper industry in barrier coating and packaging applications?
SS: We are supplying barrier coating chemicals, which help paper makers to add value to the paper by making it resistant to oil & grease. Over time, paper has gained a share in the food packaging market by replacing plastic, but matching cost and properties is still a challenge. We are working closely with our customers to add value to such papers at the lowest possible cost.
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PM: What are your long-term goals for the future?
SS: We are focusing on water treatment, biocides and retention programs. At our unit in Gandhidham, we have started focussing on exports of our products to various parts of the world such as Africa, the Middle East, Gulf, Nepal and South East Asia. We already have tie-ups with renowned multinationals for applications such as enzymes, polymers and barrier coatings. In the near future, we will be focussing on packaging boards with coating chemicals. This will be in line with the current growth pattern of the packaging board industry. There is an ever-increasing demand by modern-day printing machines for improving properties such as gloss, opacity and printability.
