The Paper and Fibre Technology group provides chemical engineers and PhDs for the Norwegian pulp and paper industry. The estimated need from the industry is 8-10 engineering graduates and about 2 PhD candidates per year. The Paper and Fibre group, Paper and Fibre research Institute (PFI) and parts of the Ugelstad laboratory (colloid and surface chemistry) are located in the same building on the NTNU Gløshaugen campus and are working in close cooperation. We also cooperate closely with pulp and paper industry partners such as Norske Skog, Södra Cell, Borregaard, Peterson and Voith.

 Our research is focused on improvements in the pulp and paper process and on improved end product quality.
Examples are:

• Reduced energy consumption and/or better fibre properties of mechanical pulp through high intensity refining, co-refining of different raw materials or pretreatment of wood chips.
• Increased brightness or reduced bleaching chemical consumption through separate bleaching of different particle size fractions of mechanical pulp.
• Reduced print through defect in newsprint by optimized sheet structure

The last years a new activity on use of cellulose based particles in composite materials have also started. Goals here are improved strength, barrier and surface properties.