Paper for centuries has served as the main means of writing, which despite technological advances is still valid. Now, you know how paper is made. In this article we will show you the entire process involved in the development of this important invention and much more, so we invite you to continue reading.
How is paper made?
The production of paper begins with obtaining the basic raw material, which can be one of the following: cellulose pulp derived from trees, waste turned into sawdust or the recycled paper itself, although cloth, linen, linters of cotton and sugar cane residues. Next, we present a step-by-step explanation of everything that involves its processing, packaging and transportation for its subsequent commercialization.
wood processing
The first step that must be carried out is to obtain the wood, where the use of this material leads to the cutting of trees, then each of the branches is removed until only the trunk is left. Then the debarking step is continued, here the logs are sent through a debarking machine, to remove all the bark, that is, its outer layer. The next step in how paper is made is chipping, where the debarked wood is moved to a machine that will break it into smaller pieces.
The pulping process continues, where the aforementioned pieces are immersed in a device called a digester, where they will be mixed with a solution of water and some industrial substances. Later, the solution is drained from the container through some grids that it has, leaving only the fiber inside, which will end up being one of the main elements to know how to make the paper.
It must then be dried by passing the remaining raw fibrous paper layer through numerous drying cylinders to solidify its structure. Then the next step is pressing, with the paper passing through a pressing unit that evens out the texture and shape of the surface. Finally, the last step of how to make the paper is the treatment. Here, as the name suggests, it is treated with a starch solution that seals the surface of the paper and helps prevent excessive ink absorption during printing.
homemade recycled paper
One of the easiest ways to get paper is to reuse what you used at home. The following materials are needed for this process: non-laminated paper, scissors, a bowl, a heavy-duty mixer or blender, a strainer, a sponge, as well as a net and an old cloth. Once you have all these materials, all you have to do is follow the steps below to get the eco-friendly product that you can reuse in whatever activity you need to do.
The first thing to do is cut the paper into small pieces. Then put it in a large container and cover it with a sufficient amount of hot water. Ideally, leave it to soak for a while so that the paper absorbs the water well. Then you need to mix everything well and grind it to get a paste. To do this, we will need a very strong mixer or blender, you can also use the strength of your hands. When you have the pulp ready, put it in the strainer and pour cold water over it. Then repeat the process as many times as necessary, until all the liquid is removed.
Subsequently, you have to stretch the mixture supported by some utensil until you get the desired size. After this, you have to pass a sponge to make sure to dry the water once again. Then strain the leaf on a piece of damp cloth, and pass the sponge again without removing the mesh. Then, remove the mesh and cover with another cloth so that the ecological product dries perfectly on all its sides, in addition, you must add something that is heavy to prevent it from being wavy. After a few hours the paper will be dry and you will have obtained an excellent sheet of homemade recycled paper.
industrial recycled paper
The industrial development of this type of paper begins with the collection of the material already used, whose inks must be removed and cleaned of any dirt it may have. For this, it is necessary to know the origin of the paper and its components, which merits its classification. Then it goes to the next phase that consists of placing them in a machine that cuts them into many small pieces, to later process them with water, in order to achieve a homogeneous mixture of recycled fibers.
Next, the pigments are separated from the paper by air injection, then the paper is whitened by adding hydrogen peroxide, then they are transferred through plates where they are given shape and thickness. Subsequently, a drying, cutting and packaging process is carried out. It is important to highlight that, in this way, a new product is obtained that will be available for sale and the environmental impact will have been reduced thanks to the reuse of raw materials.
How is vegetable bagasse paper made?
As a way to contribute to the reduction of environmental deforestation, there are industries that are using sugar cane waste as raw material to produce paper. In this sense, the different steps to achieve it begin in the field with the harvest of the cane that, once collected, is transported to the mills to obtain its main product, which is the juice that will be used for the production of sugar and from which it is generated. what is known as bagasse.
This leftover material is then processed in the disentangling plant to mechanically separate the fiber from the pith, which is also used to produce steam and energy, thus reducing the use of traditional energies, resulting in a process that maximizes all natural components. Once the fibers are transported to the industry, they pass through channels through which water circulates and the resulting slurry is taken to a container from where it is pumped in the process. This flow is received by vibrating screens that remove water and fibrils.
Boiling in sodium hydroxide and steam is then carried out to remove the lignin for conversion to pulp. In this process, the pulp has a brown color, then it is sent to the washing filter where it is separated from the remaining liquid. When it is bleached, fibers and chemical additives are added to condition it in the paper machine, where the water is then drained from the pulp through a rotating plastic mesh, giving a wet fibrous structure like the continuous sheet of paper. This is pressed and steam-dried to remove excess moisture.
The sheet of paper is passed through a system of rollers to give it the desired smoothness and thickness, and is then rolled into rolls called popes, which are cut into reels of different widths and diameters as requested by customers or through the converting program. in which machine-produced paper is converted into wrapped reels, sheets, continuous forms, and reams, then part of the reel output is shipped to paper products mills.
Paper Characteristics
Paper is one of the things that has been used the most since the beginning, being an important element in most offices and homes. Given this importance, it has undergone many changes to adapt to the needs of the market. To learn more about it, it is necessary to explain its main characteristics: Grammage, which indicates the weight per square meter and is calculated by dividing the thickness by the volume. Depending on the surface, a much higher quality can be achieved, for example in prints.
The next characteristic is the thickness of the paper, which refers to the stiffness and stability of the paper. It is found by multiplying the grammar by the volume. This paper thickness determines the width of the paper between the two sides. A thicker paper allows it to be used more efficiently with aqueous paints or fabrics. On the other hand, we have the volume, which is the amount of air that the paper has. The more air it contains, the lighter it becomes, but it takes up more space.
Another property is roughness, which affects the type of ink when printed or overprinted. This is because the ink must adapt to the irregularities of the paper, so the result can be very different depending on the height. Finally, we have Opacity, which determines how much ink the paper can absorb. This is very important, especially when using paper in the printer, as it can affect print quality. It is related to the amount of light projected on the paper. The higher the opacity, the higher the contrast with the generated pressure.
Types of trees used
In general, any type of tree can be used, but most of the time pine is used for this work, due to its great properties, providing a more resistant paper. On the other hand, softwoods such as spruce, maple, and hemlock can also be used. Eucalyptus, poplar, and birch are used for hardwoods. There is also a growing interest in genetically modified species. This trend is due to several advantages that they can bring, such as: an easier decomposition of lignin and an increase in growth rate.
Other raw materials
Although wood is traditionally used as a raw material for the production of this product, as we have mentioned before, it is surprising to know that there are other inputs that can be used for this purpose. For example, in many coastal places large amounts of algae are collected, since according to research they have the necessary cellulose to be able to make paper and of very good quality. In addition, this contributes to the cleanliness of the beaches where this collection is carried out.
On the other hand, some conventional papers contain mineral powder that makes them brighter and more resistant. But there is a type of paper in which the mineral constitutes more than 80% of the product, mixed with a small amount of plastic resin. This stone-based paper has already entered the market with great success. Also, some European companies have created paper based on the recycling of waste leather, something that recalls the origins of this writing material.
Paper History
Knowing how this is done, it can be noted that this element is considered along with the domain of fire, one of the most outstanding of humanity, since it enables the protection of information over the years. It is recognized that other writing aids existed, but their manufacture was very detailed and expensive. The oldest writing aid was papyrus, invented by the Egyptians during the third millennium BC. Papyrus was followed by parchment, obtained from the skin of a lamb, calf or goat. Then came paper, made in China. The first system was very heavy and the second very expensive.
It can be inferred that the expression of paper arises from papyrus, a material used by all the inhabitants of the Nile River in ancient times. Although, other civilizations are known that used other paper formats, for example, the washi in the islands of Japan, which as a curious fact was cataloged as heritage by UNESCO. In turn, it can be said that paper was invented in AD 105. It was then that the eunuch, Cai Lun, realized that the materials he was using were not the most suitable for manuscripts. He then focused on tree bark, hemp, and scraps of cloth.
It would show China's sovereignty a new system to convert these issues into a new item of writing, that is, paper. After this, the new technology improved over time. Once perfect, it spreads throughout China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. The oldest known paper comes from a Chinese tomb from the XNUMXnd century BC. C. It was made from hemp fiber and a small amount of flax. The production of paper in large quantities took place during the reign of Emperor Hedi during the XNUMXst century. It was a quality paper, perfect for writing.
The Arabs discovered paper in the 751th century after capturing a Chinese expedition, including some papermakers. Later, the Saracens spread the product of 1000. History of paper. It should be noted that Spain was the first country in the West to know this. The Missal Silos, from the year XNUMX, is the oldest known European manuscript written on paper. The first European paper factory was in Játiva (Valencia), whose cotton paper or «bomiciana letter» had great fame. Thanks to this Arab influence in Córdoba, the mills of Seville and Toledo from the XNUMXth century are preserved.
Since the XNUMXth century, with the camshaft, European craftsmen, especially French, have crushed hemp and pressed linen, cotton or cloth. This implied a development in the production of paper that surpassed the heavier and rougher parchment, which was losing ground. It began to be produced in large quantities and at low prices before the fifteenth century changed the history of paper. Gutenberg's movable-type printing press made him a source of knowledge, through books, periodicals, and pamphlets. Therefore, it would be part of the official document support and not just personal documents.
Evolution of the paper manufacturing process
At first only the Libero, the inner bark of the tree, was used. After that, they used all kinds of bedding or rags. In all this, a pasty raw material was created, which, when rolled and dried, resulted in paper. The process has hardly changed from its invention to today. The raw material is macerated by hand in a large mortar until a pulp is obtained, into which a wooden frame is inserted with a metal or sackcloth, on which a whitish substance remains, from which the water must be removed by shaking gently.
This layer of pulp is then placed on a felt surface to which the paper is adhered, which after pressing is hung up to dry. The procedure was very traditional until the eighteenth century. It was done in a bathtub sheet by sheet. In 1799, Nicolas Robert, a worker at Pierre François Didot's printing house in Paris, invented a new procedure. He could get paper twelve to fifteen meters long without the help of workers and only by mechanical means.
This paper made things easier for printers and paper handlers for private use. It was a big step forward. Since then, improvements and advances have always been made, which today makes a great variety in different formats and colors to cover all kinds of needs. For example, in 1985 photocopy-resistant paper was invented. This prevents unwanted dissemination of information. It was an achievement of a Canadian company that renamed it Nocopi.
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