Paper

History and Production of Paper

• Paper was first made in China in the 2nd century BCE.
• The knowledge of papermaking spread to the Islamic world after the Battle of Talas in 751 CE.
• Paper production spread to medieval Europe in the 13th century.
• Industrialization in the 19th century reduced the cost of manufacturing paper.
• In 1844, inventors in Canada and Germany developed processes for pulping wood fibers.
• Before industrialization, paper was made from recycled fibers from textiles.
• The process of removing printing inks from recycled paper, called deinking, was invented in 1774.
• Wood pulp was introduced in 1843, reducing the dependence on recycled materials.
• Hemp, linen, and cotton were common sources of fiber for paper production.
• Wood pulp replaced recycled materials as the main source of fiber.
• The word 'paper' comes from the Latin word 'papyrus,' which originated from the Greek word for the Cyperus papyrus plant.
• Papyrus was a thick material used for writing before the introduction of paper.
• Paper and papyrus are produced differently, with paper being manufactured from macerated fibers.
• Papyrus is made from natural plant fibers, while paper is made from fibers with changed properties.
• Papermaking is the process of producing paper from fibers.
• Chemical pulping processes separate lignin from cellulose fiber.
• Wood-free papers are made from chemical pulps that do not contain lignin.
• Mechanical pulping processes, such as thermomechanical pulp and groundwood pulp, have high yields but produce weaker paper.
• Paper recycling processes can use chemically or mechanically produced pulp to break hydrogen bonds and separate fibers.
• Paper recycling processes often use de-inked pulp, which can be of lower quality than the original paper.
• There are three main classifications of recycled fiber: mill broke, preconsumer waste, and postconsumer waste.
• Mill broke refers to substandard or grade-change paper within the paper mill itself.
• Preconsumer waste includes offcut and processing waste generated outside the paper mill.
• Postconsumer waste includes used paper from its intended end use, such as office waste and newsprint.

Additives and Finishing

• Fibres in pulps may contain fillers like chalk or china clay.
• Additives for sizing purposes can be mixed with the pulp or applied later in the manufacturing process.
• Sizing is done to establish the correct level of surface absorbency for ink or paint.
• Additives improve the characteristics of paper for printing or writing.
• The purpose of additives is to enhance the quality of the paper.
• Paper may undergo sizing to alter its physical properties.
• Coated paper has a thin layer of material applied to create a surface suitable for high-resolution halftone screens.
• Coated papers can be matte, semi-matte, silk, or gloss.
• The paper can be fed onto reels for web printing presses or cut into sheets for other purposes.
• Paper grain can be wove or textured, depending on the desired finish.

Applications and Types of Paper

• Paper can be produced with a wide variety of properties for different uses.
• It is used for representing value, storing information, and publishing materials.
• Paper is used for communication, organization, and artistic works.
• It is also used in packaging, cleaning, and construction.
• Different types of paper are used for specific applications.
• Printing papers of wide variety
• Wrapping papers for protection of goods
• Writing paper suitable for stationery
• Blotting papers with little or no size
• Drawing papers with rough surfaces for artists and designers

Paper Sizes and Properties

• Paper thickness is often measured by caliper, given in thousandths of an inch or micrometers.
• Paper can range between 0.07 and 0.18 millimeters thick.
• Weight is a measure of the paper's mass per unit area.
• In the US, weight is based on the weight of a ream of paper before it is cut into smaller sizes.
• In Europe, weight is expressed in grams per square meter (gsm).
• A0 paper size is 1189 — 841mm
• A1 is half the size of A0
• A2 is half the size of A1
• Common sizes used are A4 and A3
• A3 is the size of two A4 sheets

Environmental Impact and Future Developments

• Worldwide paper consumption increased by 400% in the past 40 years
• 35% of harvested trees are used for paper manufacture
• Paper waste accounts for up to 40% of total waste produced in the US
• The average office worker in the US prints 31 pages every day
• Americans use approximately 16 billion paper cups per year
• Asia has surpassed North America as the top pulp and paper producing continent
• Production of graphic papers has been declining, while other papers and paperboard production has increased
• Cardboard production has been increasing due to e-commerce and COVID-19-related lockdowns
• PaperFoam, a biodegradable and recyclable alternative to expanded plastic packaging
• Zein (corn protein) as a coating for high grease applications
• Introduction of synthetics like Tyvek and Teslin as more durable printing media
• Increasing focus on environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic coatings
• Higher prices of hydrocarbon based petrochemicals driving innovation in paper coatings.

Paper Data Sources

Reference	URL
Glossary	https://www.alternix.com/blogs/glossary-of-terms/paper
Wikipedia	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper
Wikidata	https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11472
Knowledge Graph	https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0641k