Start-up experience at American Fibre Resources

American Fiber Resources (AFR) is a 600 mtpd market office paper deinked pulp mill located in Fairmont, West Virginia. The mill is a phoenix rising from the ashes of closure and bankruptcy in 1996. AFR went through two changes of ownership and the installation of new equipment before its successful start up in May of 1998. The mill was producing on quality pulp within five days of start up, and has continued to produce printing and writing quality deinked pulp from 100% post-consumer recovered fibre. This paper looks briefly at the equipment and process changes that have been made to the mill, and focuses on the start up efforts and quality improvements which resulted in the successful start up and continued operation of the mill.