How Paper is Made
Paper is an essential commodity utilized for business and education. Paper is typically made from plant fibres. Most common would be from the fibres of trees. Other materials such as plant fibres of cotton, sugar, and bamboo or linen rags can also be utilized to produce paper.
The process of producing paper begins with trees utilized for the raw materials. Trees can be classified as hardwood or softwood for papermaking.
Hardwoods are trees with fibres that are shorter. They produce paper of a smoother surface. The products from these trees are papers used for writing and printing. Examples of such trees are maples and oaks.
Softwoods give fibres that are much stronger than those of the hardwoods. These are utilized for paper products. These need to be sturdy. Products include containers used for shipping.
Pines and spruces are trees under the softwood category. Hardwoods can be combined with softwoods to produce a single sort of paper. This gives it the desired smoothness and strength suitable for other purposes.
The manufacturing of the paper begins after the fibre from the trees or other sources is gathered. This starts with pulp making. Logs are first cleaned of impurities, then de-barked, and subsequently turned into wood chips.
These wood chips are converted into wood pulp. Separating cellulose from the lignin components of the wood produces wood pulp. Pulping can be done through mechanical or chemical processes.
In the mechanical method of pulping, wood is chopped or grinded. This is done to sift all the unneeded particles of the wood. The cellulose fibres will remain intact. </p
Chemicals and steam is oftentimes added in the mechanical process. Mechanical pulping can efficiently turn about 90% of wood into usable pulp. The papers produced turn yellowish because lignin is not removed thoroughly with this process. This occurs when it is dried out in the sun. It produces a weak sort of paper.
The chemical pulping method incorporates heat, pressure and chemicals to dissolve unwanted particles such as lignin. Wood is mixed with chemicals such as sodium sulfide and sodium hydroxide. It is cooked in large vats known as digesters. This produces pulp that will be filtered. Bleach is combined to the pulp in this part of the process.
After the pulping stage is the beating stage. The pulp is pounded and squeezed by machine beaters. In the tub where the pulp is beaten, filler substances and sizings are added.
These substances affect the look. It also affects the reaction to ink of the finished product. The paper will be too absorbent if sizings are not incorporated.
The pulp is ready to be turned into paper once the beating stage is done. The pulp is placed or fed into huge automated machines. The machine has a moving belt inside with mesh screens. These screens are very fine in texture.
The pulp is then squeezed and flattened by rollers. Water is drained out by the rollers through these mesh screens. Suction devices underneath the belt will remove the excess water.
The next step is to have the paper pressed. A pressing machine does this. It consists of woollen rollers. The paper is then steam-heated by mechanical cylinders. It is used to get rid of the remaining excess water.
The next process is when the paper reaches the finishing stage. The paper is rolled into reels. This would be processed to turn it to the finished product. The paper is compacted and evened out by metal rollers known as calendars.
These calendars can make the paper’s finish into various gradients and textures. Additional finishing touches such as receiving coatings and sizings can also be incorporated.
The final production phase would be the cutting stage. The paper is sliced to different sizes. It will be grouped according to the kind of paper made.