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 |
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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 |