Bleached Chemi-Thermomechanical Pulp (BCTMP)

BCTMP is made by treating wood chips with chemicals and steam to soften the lignin, refining them mechanically into fibre, and then bleaching the result. Because the lignin largely stays in the pulp instead of being dissolved out, the yield from a tonne of wood is far higher than in a kraft process — which is the commercial logic of the grade. The fibre is stiffer and bulkier than chemical pulp fibre, so BCTMP is used where a furnish needs caliper, stiffness and opacity per tonne rather than maximum strength. Brightness, bulk, freeness and the optical and strength contribution in a given furnish are the parameters that decide acceptance; they vary by mill, wood species and grade and are confirmed against supplier documentation.

CTMP is the unbleached chemi-thermomechanical grade; BCTMP has been through a bleaching stage. Beyond brightness, the two can differ in cleanliness and in optical behaviour in a furnish, and a specification written around one is not automatically satisfied by the other. If a quotation compares them, treat them as separate grades with separate qualification, and state in the enquiry which one your furnish is designed around.

Chemical pulps such as NBSK and BHKP deliver strength and, in the hardwood case, surface. BCTMP delivers bulk and stiffness at high yield. In most board and many tissue furnishes these are complementary rather than competing purchases: the ratio between them is set by the caliper, stiffness and strength targets of the finished grade. State the finished product and the property you are protecting so the right grade — or the right combination — is quoted.

Normally specified on wood species, brightness, freeness, bulk and stiffness contribution, cleanliness, moisture on an air-dry basis and bale presentation. Allzone publishes no values: they are mill- and grade-specific and are confirmed against supplier documentation at quotation.

Canada has an established BCTMP production and export base, with high-yield pulp mills serving international board and tissue producers, and the grade is also produced in other regions. That is industry context, not an origin guarantee: the exact mill and origin are quotation-specific. Origin, mill, availability, certification and specification are confirmed at quotation against the lot actually offered. Origin is a supply attribute, never an assumed property of the product, and no fibre source is implied by this page.

Traded on an air-dry tonne basis; confirm the weight and moisture settlement basis in the contract · Quoted FOB, CFR or CIF, container or breakbulk · High-yield pulp is bulky, so stowage and container utilisation affect delivered cost · State any certified-fibre requirement so chain of custody is contracted in advance.

Commonly relevant documentation: mill quality certificate / certificate of analysis, packing list, certificate of origin, bill of lading, and — where contracted in advance — chain-of-custody documentation. Availability of each document is confirmed per order, per mill and per destination.

Useful in a first enquiry: the exact pulp type and grade, the end use, quantity in metric tonnes or containers, destination port, the fibre or specification you must match, and your Incoterm. For BCTMP also state: softwood or hardwood grade, the finished board or paper grade and ply, target brightness, freeness and bulk/stiffness contribution, furnish ratio, moisture basis, certification requirement and bale presentation.

Wood pulp obtained by a combination of mechanical and chemical pulping processes falls within HS 4705.00. The line applied to a shipment is verified against the material actually offered and the destination's classification practice.