Specialty Minerals - Paper & Packaging

Advanced paper and paperboard technologies for today and tomorrow.

Specialty Minerals Inc. is the world leader in paper precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), the preferred filler for papermakers. Relentless in our innovative spirit, we continuously research and introduce new technologies and services to optimize existing uses of PCC and other minerals and strive to meet tomorrow's paper and paperboard needs.

High quality minerals that help customers grow. Sustainably.

We partner with customers to understand and deliver on their papermaking and paperboard needs today while developing mindful innovations for tomorrow. Our highest quality minerals and partner-oriented approach help address customers' operational needs while lowering costs and establishing circular economies in some of the world's most competitive markets.

Collage illustrating the life cycle of recycled paper

Repurposing waste streams into circular economies.

Get to know our portfolio of PCC products and solutions that are dedicated to eliminating high production-related costs while reducing raw material consumption as well as repurposing waste streams for production. Our sustainability principles inform our process, which is engineered to improve product performance while creating truly circular economies.

Strengthen Performance, Reduce Costs in Paperboard. Here's how.

We help paperboard manufacturers achieve their quality and cost reduction goals and deliver solutions for a diverse range of paperboard grades.

In White-Top Liner (WTL) applications, our ALBACAR® PCC filler provides the light scattering needed to significantly improve final brightness or help balance pulp, enabling overall pulp savings and improving key WTL properties like stiffness and bulk.
Our OPACARB® and CRYSTALGLOS™ PCCs in coated board coating formulations lead to improvements in printing, brightness, and smoothness, and/or reductions in coat weight and pulp costs -- a gamechanger for Folding Boxboard (FBB), Liquid Packaging Board (LPB), and other coated board grades.

Hands holding shredded paper with a plant growing from it.

Leading with state-of-the-art smart labs.

Our scientists are our competitive advantage, driving our comprehensive capabilities and expertise for the paper industry in key markets around the world. From synthesis to application testing to providing technical support, our R&D team pushes the boundaries of what's possible in paper technology.

Discover our sustainable solutions in paper PCC and GCC technologies, all of which are engineered to help reduce our and our customers’ impact on the environment.

Hands showing a plant growing in a pot made of paper.

sustainable innovations.

Our portfolio of products is dedicated to repurposing waste streams and supporting sustainable growth.

NewYield® Technology

Our proprietary NewYield® technology converts waste streams from pulping operations into functional filler pigments, eliminating the cost of disposal while reducing raw material consumption for the production of PCC. The NewYield PCC product truly delivers excellence in performance, including improved bulk and opacity, while maintaining or improving strength and smoothness.

FulFill® technology

Our FulFill® technology portfolio is a series of high filler solutions designed to provide customers the ability to increase the amount of filler content in paper by 1-10%-points, and beyond. More filler means less dependency on fiber, and that means substantial operational savings.

ENVIROFIL® Technology

ENVIROFIL® PCC is a recycling technology that allows papermakers to recover mineral pigments from deinking residue by converting these raw materials to precipitated calcium carbonate. It replaces quicklime in PCC production by using mineral rich ash-based waste from the deinking process of recycled fibers.

Enhanced pigments & coatings.

From sought-after opacity and brightness solutions to improved filler strength and structure, explore our pigments and coatings solutions that not only improve product look and performance, but also help manage costs.

Albacar® PCC

Albacar® PCC is available in variable grades to meet a variety of customers' needs. From providing striking opacity and brightness to improving sheet strength and bulk, contact us to learn more about the right Albacar PCC for your needs.

Albaglos® PCC

Albaglos® PCC family of coating pigments offers a combination of steep particle size distribution and prismatic shape, providing superior results in paper and board coating and offset printing applications. Learn more about what solutions we have to offer.

Opacarb® PCC

Opacarb® PCCs are tailor-made to maximize fiber coverage and light scatter. From glossy to matte finishes, Opacarb PCC coating pigment provides superior brightness and opacity increases and provides excellent optical coverage while allowing coated paper and board manufacturers to reduce overall base sheet furnish costs.

Megafil® PCC

Megafil® prismatic PCC filler for paper and board acts as a functional additive and fiber substitute, offering light scattering and strengthening properties for a lustrous look and higher quality product.