Out of the blue, Clariant launches the ultimate white

www.clariant.com
Clariant International Ltd
Rothausstrasse 61
4132 Muttenz 1
Switzerland
Press Release
Clariant International Ltd
Out of the blue, Clariant launches the ultimate
white
Muttenz, 4 July 2011 – Clariant gives papermakers the unique opportunity to use up to 30% less
optical brightening agent (OBA), reduce tinting colorant levels, and reach a truer, more neutral
white, with the launch of its breakthrough whitening system Leucophor ® XL.
The globally-available Leucophor ® XL range offers a new approach to controlling and
optimizing whiteness. Its innovative technology improves whiteness build-up without destroying
brightness for coated and uncoated papers and board. This provides a step-change in the
whiteness and brightness of paper compared to conventional whitening methods where the
colorant can make paper appear duller and grayer.
Papermakers can achieve significant improvements in their manufacturing efficiency with
Leucophor ® XL. By replacing traditional brighteners with an OBA from the Leucophor ® XL
range, significantly less OBA is required in order to achieve equal whiteness levels. At the same
time, lower levels of shading colorants are required in the wet-end, leading to higher brightness
at less cost. By moving away from the OBA saturation limit, previously unattainable whiteness
levels are made possible.
The Leucophor ® XL range comprises products to cover all variations in application and potential
end-use requirements.
“We see our new Leucophor ® XL range as a toolkit which helps papermakers to reduce their
consumption of optical brighteners and tinting colorants while continuing to produce papers to
the same or even higher whiteness standards as before,” comments Andrew Jackson, Head of
Global Product Management Optical Brightening Agents. “As well as bringing cost savings, this
innovative approach to whiteness also reduces the carbon footprint of printing and writing
papers, a move very much in line with Clariant’s sustainability concept."
END

Clariant International Ltd
Group Communications
Press Release
4 July, 2011
Page 2 of 2
Out of the blue, Clariant launches the ultimate white. (Photo: Clariant)
Media contacts Phone e-mail
Stefanie Nehlsen
+41 61 469 6742 stefanie.nehlsen@clariant.com
Clariant Media Center
www.clariant.com
+41 61 469 6363 media.relations@clariant.com
Clariant is an internationally active specialty chemical company based in Muttenz near Basel. The group owns over
100 companies worldwide and employed approx. 16,200 employees as of December 31, 2010. In the financial year
2010, Clariant produced a turnover in excess of CHF 7 billion. Clariant is divided into ten business units: Additives;
Detergents & Intermediates; Emulsions; Industrial & Consumer Specialties; Leather Services; Masterbatches; Oil &
Mining Services; Paper Specialties; Pigments; Textile Chemicals.
Leucophor ® is a registered trademark of Clariant.