Certainty of Outcome
since 1884.

ABOUT US

A CENTURY OF DEVELOPMENT

We are a company with deep historic roots within the pulp and paper industry, but over the century and more, we have expanded and continue serving the rest of the industrial and commercial world.

With 135+ years of experience…

STEBBINS has earned the respect of customers world-wide through Certainty of Outcome; our vast experience within the industry and our vertically integrated infrastructure inspires trust within our business partners to continue operating with the highest degree of responsibility.

A partnership formed in Ohio in 1884 has grown to become an important source of chemical resistant materials and services around the world. For more information about us, visit STEBBINS TODAY.

A Century of

HISTORY

The following are significant dates in STEBBINS’ history.

1884

STEBBINS AND FRIEND PARTNERSHIP FORMED IN WEST CARROLLTON, OH. H. W. Stebbins, born to a paper-making family in England, formed a partnership with Howard Friend, an American paper-maker. Their purpose was to provide a consulting service to design and make apparatus for the pulp and paper industry.

1889

FIRST BRICK AND CEMENT LININGS INSTALLED IN NORTH AMERICA. Digesters were originally small bronze or carbon steel lead-lined vessels. The use of brick and cement linings protected the bronze shell, or gave stability and protection to the lead lining in a carbon steel shell.

Pulp and Paper, Reinforced Tile Construction

1898

STEBBINS AND RICHTER FORMED PARTNERSHIP IN WATERTOWN NY. This partnership was formed to provide consulting services to the pulp and paper industry, and to develop, produce, and install production equipment.

1903

THE STEBBINS ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN WATERTOWN, NY. This company was formed to design, build, equip, and put paper and sulphite mills into operation. Its further purpose was to engage in the manufacture of “Milk of Lime Systems” for calcium bisulphite acid making, digester linings, bronze, lead, and iron fittings, sulphur burners, and reclaimers.

1916

FIRST JENSSEN TOWERS BUILT AT GREEN BAY, WI. Brick or tile lined concrete towers, filled with limestone, were constructed. They were water-showered with SO2 gas running countercurrent to make calcium base sulphite acid liquor.

1926

FIRST CHEMIPULP HOT SULPHITE ACID SYSTEM ENGINEERED. This provided an improved method of preconditioning and cooking fibrous materials in a pressure vessel. It used preheated cooking acid and recovered hot relief liquors and gases. This system guaranteed a financial saving by a substantial increase in the output of sulphite pulp, and a more flexible and uniform operation.

1927

CANADIAN STEBBINS ENGINEERING & MFG. CO. LIMITED, A DOMINION CORP., EST. IN MONTREAL, PQ. The sulphite industry in eastern Canada and the Maritimes was beginning to boom. To properly service these customers, a Canadian company was formed.

1931

FIRST CARBON BRICK ALKALINE DIGESTER LINING DEVELOPED. This lining replaced ceramic brick which had a short service life, or was installed in unlined carbon steel shells to extend their service life.

1943

FIRST CHEMIPULP K-C SPRAY TYPE SO2 GAS COOLER INSTALLED. This unit replaced the old lead pond coolers invented by G.D. Jensen Co. in the late 1800’s, and proved to be more efficient.

1947

BRICK LININGS FOR FIRST MgO PULP MILL INTRODUCED IN LONGVIEW, WA. Digesters, absorption towers, and other process vessels, both pressure and non-pressure, were developed.

Chemical Plant, Brick-Lined Pressure Vessels

1955

FIRST K-C JET TYPE SULPHUR BURNER INSTALLED IN COSMOPOLIS, WA. Stationary refractory lined pipe sections with induced draft to burn sulphur and provide SO2 gas at 16% to 18% for sulphite liquor were installed.

1956

SemAG BRICK DEVELOPED. This brick was created for the pulp and paper industry to provide linings resistant to strong caustic solutions in such equipment as causticizer, slaker and green and white liquor tanks.

1957

FIRST OUTDOOR INSULATED STRUCTURAL TILE TANK BUILT (LYONS FALLS, NY). This provided a low maintenance cost tank for storage of pulp in a cold outdoor environment. This structure was more economical than traditional steel or concrete tankage, lined and insulated. Exterior maintenance was far less than for painted steel.

1959

FIRST ALL TILE NECKDOWN BOTTOM HIGH DENSITY TANK BUILT (WINDSOR MILLS, QUE.). This design was developed by Greey Mixing Co. A constricted agitation and dilution zone was located in the bottom of the tank. This was an economic means of storing stock at high consistency and reducing horsepower requirements. The stock was diluted for pump out and use in the bleach plant or paper machine.

Sulphur Dioxide Generating and Absorption Plant

1960

SOLUBLE BASE CARBON BRICK FACE COURSE LINING INSTALLED IN SULPHITE DIGESTER. The cooking base switched from calcium to ammonia or soda and shortened the service life of ceramic brick face course linings. Carbon brick was used to combat this problem.

1963

FIRST SELF-RELIEVING REINFORCED CONCRETE CONICAL COVER INSTALLED. This was the first time a cover of this kind was installed on a neckdown high density tank. The operation of this type of tank can cause a stock plug to rise and fracture a fixed flat concrete cover. This also overpressures the tank sidewall. A self-relieving conical cover protects the tank from damage.

1963

POTASH PLANT IN SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA, RECEIVES FIRST ACID TILE AND BRICK LINING. Mild corrosive conditions, as well as abrasion of potash slurry, indicated the need for chemical resistance and abrasion protection in various process vessels.

1965

LARGEST (65 TON) K-C JET TYPE SULPHUR BURNER BUILT (MILLINOCKET, ME). This unit produced 260,000 pounds of SO2 gas per day required to make ammonia base sulphite cooking liquor for a 660 ton per day sulphite mill.

1968

STEBBINS LININGS DIV. EST. IN BATON ROUGE, LA. A division was established to service the chemical industry in the Mobile/Baton Rouge/Houston area.

1969

BRICK AND MEMBRANE LINING ALCOHOL REACTOR BUILT. This reactor operated at 750°F. and 1000 psi. The lining consisted of a combination rubber/furan resin membrane followed by multiple courses of ceramic and carbon brick.

1973

FIRST CHEMIPULP / JENSSEN DIV. SPENT SULPHITE LIQUOR RECOVERY SYSTEM BUILT. This system, with a cooling tower, packed absorber, and fortification tower, recovered heat and SO2 from 200,000 ACFM of recovery boiler off-gases.

1974

STEBBINS INSTALLS ITS FIRST TURNKEY Cl2 DRYING SYSTEM. This system consisted of four brick-lined drying towers, complete with packing and internals. It was installed in Plaquemine, LA, for a 400 ton per day Cl2 plant.

SO2 Absorbers, Fossil Fuel Power Plant

1976

FIRST BRICK/TILE FLUE GAS ABSORBER BUILT (GARY, IN). This unit was built for a fossil fuel power plant to remove SO2 from flue gas. STEBBINS type of reinforced masonry construction was used, rather than the traditional carbon steel with an interior relatively thin corrosion coating.

1976

FIRST SKID MOUNTED PACKAGE K-C TET SULPHUR BURNER DELIVERED TO SIOUX CITY, IA. This unit, fully assembled, refractory lined, skid mounted, and complete with all instrumentation, was delivered ready to operate

1977

K-C SULPHUR BURNER, PRIMARY, SECONDARY TOWERS, AND SULPHUR MELTING TANK SHIPPED TO SAUDI ARABIA. This sulphurous acid generation system was exported to Aramco, Saudi Arabia, for deoxygenation of sea water.

1977

FLOATING PULP MILL BRICK AND TILE LININGS INSTALLED IN JAPAN. These linings were installed into steel H.D. tanks and bleach towers, which were part of a complete bleached pulp plant built on a seagoing barge in Japan. The whole plant was then towed up the Amazon and Jari Rivers to its final location.

Coal Preparation Plant, Tumbler Ridge, BC

1983

ABRASION RESISTANT LININGS INSTALLED AT QUINTETTE COAL PROCESSING PLANT IN CANADA. Carbon steel process vessels will not withstand coal slurry abrasion. The installation of ceramic acid resistant linings is much more economical than using alloy facings to handle abrasion.

1984

100th ANNIVERSARY OF OUR FOUNDING. Over the first 100 years, STEBBINS has created an incredibly strong foundation to continue serving and supporting the industries throughout the future. We take significant pride in our heritage and will always aim to innovate and maintain the excellence we are known for.

Certainty of Outcome since 1884.