subject: Paper Manufacturing And How Its Done [print this page] Paper manufacturing is interesting and not terribly complex. For whatever reason you may want to know about how the fibrous multipurpose material is made we are going to discuss how its done .
Before you can understand how paper is created you need to know about trees and their composition. Looking at a cross section of a tree trunk you will see bark is the outermost layer that is meant to protect the inner wood from insects, weather, and many other dangers. The next player is cambium that will form both bark and the inner wood as the tree grows. After that is the sapwood, which is what carries the nourishing sap through the trunk to feed the plant. The innermost layer is called heartwood. This layer is not living but is there to provide structure and strength to the tree. The fibers of the these layers are used and mixed with other materials such as linen, cotton, latex, polyolefine, and many others for specific purposes and needs.
Not all trees are used for paper manufacturing. There are two kinds of trees, hardwood and softwood. Hardwood species make a weaker paper due to their short fibers but in the end make a smoother more print friendly surface. Softwood on the other hand is much stronger but has a rougher surface that makes it less ideal for printing, writing, and other like uses. Softwood is best suited for shipping containers and the like. That said, the two can be mixed to create the desired qualities and ensure both strength and consistency.
The process for paper manufacturing can start at a mill or at a plant depending on the plants capabilities. The first step to making paper is to wash away the dirt and impurities that may be on it and then sort them according to size where they then enter the pulping stage. Here a logs individual fibers are separated through one of a few pulping techniques. The logs are tumbled in drums to remove the bark and are then sent to grinders. After that the chips are filtered to ensure that only wood fibers are used. It is then sent to be cooked in a chemical solution in a huge vat. The chips dissolve in the solution and become a pulp that is that can now be bleached, colored, or treated as needed. The product is then sent through a process called beating. Here the pulp is pounded to a specified width with additives such as chalk, clay, or other chemicals. Next a large tool called a Fourdrinier machine is used to squeeze, dry and shape the paper into a sheet. The last and final step is called finishing where the last touches are added to specific product just as a coating, shaping, or even sizing.
Paper manufacturing is not a difficult process but the variations used with different woods, chemicals, and paper manufacturing machinery to reach the vast collection of paper products we have available today. So the next time you write on a sheet of paper think about what it would take to create that one little sheet and gain a better understanding of the world around you.
