Introduction to Pulp and Paper Technology Course

Join your peers marking this 49th year in 2023.

This four-day course delivers the most comprehensive introductory/intermediate overview available in the industry covering all of today's pulping and papermaking technology.

You can gain an in-depth overview of the entire pulp & paper mill’s major processes, including:

• Wood & Fiber Raw Materials
• Paper Mill Refining
• Pulping
• Pulp Processing, including Bleaching
• Wet End Additives
• Paper Machine Operations
• Chemical Recovery Overview
• Coating
• Recycling
• Environmental Control

Attendees learn more in this short course than at any other comparable training.  Review the detailed Course Schedule to see for yourself.

Interested in becoming a mill manager or superintendent?
This training can help you reach that goal by enabling you to think on a mill-wide basis.  

The curriculum is comprehensive, and covers everything from the incoming wood and chips, pulp mill operations, chemical recovery, recycling, stock prep, paper machine operations, pulp and paper quality, and environmental topics.

Learning Outcomes
TAPPI Fellow and Paper Industry International Hall of Fame Inductee, Dr. Michael Kocurek, is working alongside two additional expert instructors in delivering the curriculum.

They will help you:

• Demonstrate overview knowledge of  mill operations, products, process variables, equipment, and terminology.
• Describe examples of how one part of the mill affects another.
• Explain the importance of thinking on a mill wide basis.
• Discuss how the pulp and paper processes affect product properties and quality.

Evaluations after this course result in consistently high ratings for Dr. Kocurek and for the learning outcomes with 97 percent reporting that the training is good to excellent.

Huge Collection of Visuals
Dr. Kocurek presents a unique collection of more than 2,100, which includes the visuals from the new 4th Edition of the Handbook for Pulp and Paper Technology by Gary Smook, which we use as the course textbook.
The curriculum corresponds with every chapter within that book for enhanced learning.  You get to keep your course copy of "The Smook Book" as it's often called at the end of the course.

The total experience, plus the instructor's enthusiastic teaching style and knowledge of mill processes, has produced the result of the TAPPI Introduction to Pulp & Paper Technology being its longest running short course and consistently one of TAPPI's highest ranked courses. 

Pre-Course Survey
Each year, this course is customized to each class of attendees, with diverse backgrounds and interests, using a pre-course survey.  Content and discussion time is adjusted to accommodate topics of interest to you. In short, you'll get answers to your specific pulp and papermaking questions.  

Questions not answered in class or the interaction sessions are referred to other industry experts.

COURSE CONTENT
The TAPPI Introduction to Pulp & Paper Technology Course offers both introductory- and intermediate-level content covering technology, including “what” happens, and “why” things happen.

Introductory-Level Content (70%)
This course includes introductory-level topics that include:

• Vocabulary and overviews of processes and technology
• Equipment overviews and descriptions
• Product properties and effects of processes 
• Effects of one part of the mill on other parts
• Environmental control

Intermediate-Level Content (30%)
This training presents various process variables, the “why things happen,” and provides a needed foundation for the advanced-level topics below.

Advanced-Level Content (0%)
The curriculum does not include process and equipment training in depth; process control, PID diagrams; mill-specific troubleshooting and optimization, runnability nor case studies, etc. These are topics for more advanced and specialized courses, but you'll gain the foundation for learning advanced topics more quickly.

Overall, You Will...

• Gain a broad perspective by exploring the entire pulping and papermaking processes.
• Get to meet and learn from Dr. Mike Kocurek, one of the industry's leading instructors.
• Increase your ability to contribute to improving mill operations.
• Get personalized answers to specific questions and operating problems.
• Learn how to interact more knowledgeably with other mill personnel.

Who Attends?
Attendees are a mix of new industry and new position people from mills, suppliers corporate, and organizations.  They attend for a number of reasons, including:

• Gain an overview of the entire mill, plus specific areas of interest
• Refresh technical knowledge
• Think on a mill-wide basis
• Better understand the effects of P&P processes on product quality

INCLUDED WITH YOUR REGISTRATION

A Copy of the "Smook Book"
Included with your course fee is a copy of the valuable reference manual called the "Smook Book" or specifically titled, The Handbook for Pulp and Paper Technologists by Gary Smook.  Thirteen years in the making, this manual is considered the must-have book for professionals in the pulp and paper industry and widely used by P&P companies, colleges and universities because it includes hundres of illustrations, charts and tables.

The Professional Certificate
Included with the course fee is the exam where you can earn the newly developed TAPPI Professional Certificate for the Introduction to Pulp and Paper.  This certificate exam assesses competence in the areas covered in this course and demonstrates you are ready to capably manage your industry’s demands.

Earning this certificate with a score of 80% or higher demonstrates you have gained significant introductory-to-intermediate knowledge of pulping and papermaking technology. 

Your Notebook and a Flash Drive
You will receive a course notebook that includes more than 2,000 visuals, charts and diagrams.  A flash drive will also be presented to attendees that includes the visuals and information in color for your use back at the mill.

Professional Development Credits
You will earn 26 professional development hours or 2.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for completion of this course.  TAPPI's Professional Development department has been accredited as an Accredited Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). 

TAPPI Members receive discounted rates for this course.
If you're not a member yet, we want you to join us!

TAPPI event organizers are implementing safety guidelines and protocols that are applied to all TAPPI conferences, symposiums and training events.  

View this short video for an overview of TAPPI safety protocols. 

Dr. Michael J. Kocurek, Course Chair
Dr. Kocurek, professor emeritus of Paper Science & Engineering at North Carolina State University, is one of the world's most recognized educators in the pulp and paper industry.  

His focus is on pulp and paper technology, linerboard manufacture, tissue manufacture, paper properties, and workforce and professional development.

He has taught students and thousands of industry operators and professionals at more than 200 mills and 50 paper industry corporations, government and other organizations, including TAPPI, the Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the American and Forest Association (AF&PA).  Additionally, he has taught undergraduate and graduate students since 1970.

Dr. Kocurek has developed seven distance e-Learning P&P technical courses under a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant at Coastal Alabama.

He is the course chair for TAPPI's oldest and highly ranked short course on Introduction to Pulp & Paper Technology (49 years).  He is the editor of 11 books, including the recognized Pulp and Paper Manufacture series covering the entire field of pulp & paper. He has authored and/or co-authored 25 video publications, including the Introduction to Pulp & Paper series- again covering the entire field of pulp & paper.

Dr. Kocurek received his B.S., M.S., and PhD degrees in Paper Science & Engineering from the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, and Syracuse University.  He has served as paper science department head at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, an academic program he founded; and NC State University. He also has served as executive director of the Herty Foundation, an authority agency of the State of Georgia. While at Herty, he oversaw a $27 million modernization of the laboratory, creating the largest pilot scale P&P and advanced fiber development center in the US.

His honors include TAPPI Fellow, TAPPI Distinguished Service Award, TAPPI Paper and Board Division Technical Achievement Award; and induction into the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame - an honor bestowed to recognize people who have made preeminent contributions to the global paper industry.

Thomas Rodencal
Tom Rodencal is a graduate of the SUNY College of Forestry and Environmental Science with a BS degree in Paper Engineering. He first worked for Hammermill Paper Company as a process engineer. In 1978, he joined International Paper at their research center in Tuxedo Park, NY in the Process Diagnostics Group. In 1983, he transferred to the Manufacturing Services group in Mobile, AL. He then managed the diagnostics group when the group was transferred to Mobile.

After working at the Georgetown, SC mill in both a technical and production role, he was assigned to work on the project team for a 1200 tpd fine paper machine at IP Selma, AL. He continued his career with Georgia Pacific, and later Domtar Paper in Atlanta, GA where he worked in various corporate roles. He completed his corporate career working for Nalco Chemical as a senior consultant.

Tom is a product expert on high ash chemistry with implementations in North America, Mexico, and Brazil. Since 2016, he has been president of Tom Rodencal & Associates, a consulting company to the paper and allied industries. In this role, he has provided operator training, troubleshooting, paper machine auditing, and due diligence to various companies. Tom is a TAPPI Fellow, past chairman of the TAPPI Paper & Board Division, and past TAPPI Board director. In 2017, he was awarded the TAPPI Distinguished Service Award. He is a past speaker for the TAPPI Wet End Operations and TAPPI Pressing and Drying seminars. He is also a past member of the advisory board for the Specialty Papers Conference.

Thomas Holm
Tom is currently semi retired serving as a freelance consultant to the pulp and paper industry. He has worked with Buckman International as a global subject-matter expert in pulping and related processes. During his six year tenure, he worked with Sales Associates and their customers in 19 countries. He is the author of aseries of global webinars discussing various facets of the pulp industry from pitch control to bleaching enzymes. He has authored several papers and made presentations for World Pulp and Paper, TAPPI, Pulp and Paper Canada, ABTCP and CIADICYP.

He has taught introduction to pulping courses for customers and sales associates alike on four continents and has visited countless mills. This is his second year as an instructor for TAPPI’s Introduction to Pulp and Paper short course.

Prior to joining Buckman, Tom worked for the Willamette mill in Hawesville, Ky., Weyerhaeuser and eventually Domtar (now Paper Excellence). After working as an intern at Hawesville in 1982, and two summers at the Red River Mill in Campti, La., he remained with the company after receiving his BS in Paper Science and Engineering in 1985 from the University of Wisconsin-Steven Point. He held various positions at the Hawesville site including a four-year stint as the technical manager of the Kentucky Medium mill until it’s closure, when he returned to the pulp mill. He also managed the corporate PSM audit team and severed as the first chair of the Domtar corporate fiberline manager’s roundtable. He was involved in four fiberline startups, as well as one recovery boiler startup.

In addition to consulting, he is currently the vice chair of the board of directors for the  Perry County Port Authority and Hoosier Southern Railroad.

TAPPI Introduction to Pulp and Paper Technology Course

This course includes a copy of the SMOOK book as part of registration

Handbook for Pulp & Paper Technologists, 4th Edition

Value: Member: $103 List: $133
Item Code: 0202SMOOK4

These special publications from TAPPI are available to 2023 Intro to Pulp and Paper Course attendees, most at a "course only" discount.  Purchase with your registration and pick up on-site at the Course and SAVE on shipping!

NEW!  Process Chemicals for Papermaking
Product Code: 0101R364                         
Member Price: $ 110
Non-Member Price:  $ 143

Make Paper Products Stand Out
Product Code: 0101R361                         
Member Price: $ 81
Non-Member Price:  $ 105

Advances in Papermaking Wet End Chemistry Application Technologies
Product Code: 0101R349                         
Member Price: $ 110
Non-Member Price:  $ 142

Troubleshooting the Papermaking Process
Product Code: 0101R298
Member Price: $ 99
Non-Member Price:  $ 127

Kraft Recovery Boilers, Third Edition
Product Code: 0101R358
Member Price: $ 160
Non-Member Price:  $ 207

Handbook for Pulp & Paper Technologists (SMOOK in SPANISH) 4^th Edition
Product Code: 0202SMOOK4S
Member Price: $ 88
Non-Member Price:  $ 113

Handbook of Pulp & Paper Terminology: A Guide to Industrial and Technological Usage, Second Edition
Product Code: 0202Term
Member Price: $ 64
Non-Member Price:  $ 72

Properties of Paper
Product Code: 0102B052
Member Price: $ 37
Non-Member Price:  $ 57

World of Market Pulp
Product Code: 08WOMPB
Member Price: $ 95
Non-Member Price:  $ 95

Making Pulp and Paper CDs

Overview Paper and Wood
MPP-01
Member Price: $ 50
Non-Member Price:  $ 76

Paper Mill Overview
Product Code: MPP-09
Member Price: $ 50
Non-Member Price:  $ 76

Pulp Mill Overview & Protecting the Environment
Product Code: MPP-02
Member Price: $ 50
Non-Member Price:  $ 76

Papermaking Science and Technology Series

Papermaking:  Part 1 – Stock Prep and Wet End, 2^nd Edition
Product Code: 0202FIN08-2
Price: $ 170    

Papermaking:  Part 2 – Drying, 2^nd Edition
Product Code: 0202FIN09-2
Price: $ 170     

Papermaking:  Part 3 – Finishing, 2^nd Edition
Product Code: 0202FIN010-2
Price: $ 137