FOOD PACKAGING

PAPER AND PAPERBOARD

 PAPER AND PAPERBOARD - INTRODUCTION
Paper and paperboard are sheet
 Virgin, or primary, fibre is derived directly from wood by a process known as materials made up from an
pulping. This can be done mechanically or with the help of chemicals which dissolve interlaced network of cellulose
most of the non-cellulose components of the wood, which are subsequently used fibres derived from wood pulp.
to provide energy. Cellulose fibres are capable of
 The terms sulphate and sulphite refer to the chemical processes used to separate developing physico-chemical bonds
the fibres from wood, sulphate being the more dominant process today. at their points of contact within the
fibre network, thus forming a sheet.
 Mechanically separated fibre retains the colour of the wood though this can be The strength of the sheet depends
made lighter by mild chemical treatment. Chemically separated fibre is brown but it on the origin and type of fibre, how
can be bleached to remove all traces of non-cellulosic material. Pure cellulose the fibre has been processed, the
fibres are translucent individually but appear white when bulked together weight per unit area, and thick- ness.
 Another important factor relevant to sheet properties is the species of tree from The type of fibre also influences the
which the fibres are derived. In general terms the industry uses long fibres for colour. Most paperboards have a
strength and short fibres for surface smoothness and efficient sheet multilayered construction which
forming in manufacture. provides specific performance
advantages and gives the
 Long fibres are derived from coniferous softwoods such as Spruce, Pine manufacturer flexibility of choice,
and Douglas Fir and have average lengths of 3–4.5mm. depending on the packaging end use,
 Short fibres, such as those derived from Birch have average lengths of 1– of the type of fibre used in the
1.5mm. individual layers.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A PAPER

 These materials are printable and have physical properties which enable them to be made into
flexible and rigid packaging by cutting, creasing, folding, forming, gluing etc.

 There are many different types of paper and paperboard. They vary in appearance, strength and
many other properties depending on the type(s) and amount of fibre used and how the fibres
are processed in paper and paperboard manufacture.

 The amount of fibre is expressed by the weight per unit area (grams per square metre, g/m2, or
lbs. per 1000sq. ft), thickness (microns, μm or 0.001mm, and thou (0.001inch), also referred to as
points) and appearance (colour and surface finish).

 Paperboard is thicker than paper and has a higher weight per unit area. Paper over 200g/m2 is
defined by ISO (International Organisation for Standardization) as paperboard or board.

 However, some products are known as paperboard even though they are manufactured in grammages
less than 200g/m2. Papers and paperboards used for packaging range from thin tissues to thick boards.
 COMMON FORMS OF PAPER AND PAPERBOARD

Paper bags, wrapping, packaging

papers and infusible tissues,
Corrugated and
Ex:. Tea and coffee bags, Multiwall paper Folding cartons solid fibreboard
sachets, pouches, overwrapping
paper, sugar and flour bags,
sacks and rigid boxes boxes (shipping
carrier bags cases)

Paper based tubes,

tubs and Moulded pulp
Fibre drums Liquid packaging
composite containers
containers

Cap liners (sealing

Cushioning wads) and
Labels Sealing tapes
materials diaphragms
(membranes).
 OVERCOMING DRAWBACK OF PAPER’S PROPERTIES

 Whilst it is approved for direct contact with many food products, packaging made solely
from paper and paperboard is permeable to water, water vapour, aqueous solutions
and emulsions, organic solvents, fatty substances (except grease resistant paper
grades), gases, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, aggressive chemicals
and to volatile flavours and aromas. Whilst it can be sealed with several types of adhesive,
it is not, itself, heat sealable.
 Paper and paperboard, however, can acquire barrier properties and extended functional
performance, such as heat sealability for leak-proof liquid packaging, through coating and
lamination with plastics, such as polyethylene (PE), poly- propylene (PP), polyethylene
terephthalate (PET or PETE) and ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), and with
aluminium foil, wax, and other treatments.
 Packaging made solely from paperboard can provide a wide range of barrier properties by being
overwrapped with a heat sealable plastic film such as polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC) coated
oriented polypropylene (OPP or BOPP).
RAW MATERIALS USED IN PAPER MAKING
1. CELLULOSE

 This is a long-chain, linear polymer built up from a large number of glucose molecules
(weight-average DP 3500 for native wood cellulose in situ) and is the most abundant, naturally
occurring organic compound. The fiber-forming properties of cellulose depend on the fact that it
consists of long, relatively straight chains that tend to lie parallel to one another.
 Cellulose is moderately resistant to the action of chlorine and dilute sodium hydroxide under mild
conditions, but is modified or dissolved under more severe conditions.
 It is relatively resistant to oxidation (e.g., with bleaching agents), and, therefore, bleaching operations
can be used to remove small amounts of impurities such as lignin without appreciable damage to the
strength of the pulp
2. HEMICELLULOSE

 These are lower MW (weight-average DP 15) mixed-sugar polysaccharides consisting of one or

more of the following molecules: xylose, mannose, arabinose, galactose and uronic acids, with the
composition differing from species to species.
 The principal hemicelluloses are xylan in hardwoods and glucomannon in softwoods.
Hemicelluloses are usually soluble in dilute alkalis. The quantity rather than the chemical nature of the
hemicelluloses appears to determine the paper properties. Hemicelluloses are largely responsible for
hydration and development of bonding during beating of chemi- cal pulps.
3. LIGNIN

 This is the natural binding constituent of the cells of wood and plant stalks.
 It is a highly branched, three-dimensional (3D), alkylaromatic, thermoplastic polymer of
uncertain size, built up largely from substituted phenylpropane or propylbenzene units.
 Hydroxyl or methoxyl groups are attached to the benzene carbon atoms. It has no fiber-forming
properties and is attacked by chlorine and sodium hydroxide with formation of soluble, dark brown
derivatives. It softens at about 160°C.
3. RECYCLED PULPS

 Recycled or secondary fibers are an important raw material in terms of volume and utilization for the paper
industry in many countries, due to market pressures resulting from government legislation, increasing public
awareness of issues like sustainability and a dwindling supply of virgin fibers in some regions.
 The recycling of paper is an example of the sustainable use of resources, and although recycling is generally both
economically and ecologically sound, recovered paper cannot be used in all paper grades.
 The quality and brightness of the recycled fiber furnish will dictate its end use. The removal of colored complexes
such as dyes and other unwanted materials (i.e., ink and stickies) is an important operation to produce a recycled
pulp with good properties. Generally, the conditions used for bleaching/brightening of recycled fibers are similar
to those used for mechanical and chemical pulps.
PAPER MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Wood Debarking Chipper Pulping

Washing Filtration Bleaching Digestion

Sheet
formation
1. PULPING
Grindstone

1. Mechanical method

2 plates of disc refiner

Soda process
Alkaline or Sulphate
process
2. Chemical method
Sulphate or Kraft
process
Acid or Sulphite process

3. Semi chemical method

Pulp is the fibrous raw 1. PULPING
material for the
production of paper,
paperboard,  The purpose of pulping is to separate the fibers without damaging them so that they can then be
corrugated board, and reformed into a paper sheet in the papermaking process. The intercellular substances (primarily lignin)
similar manufactured must be softened or dissolved to free individual fibers.
products. It is  Commercial pulping methods take advantage of the differences between the properties of cellulose
obtained from flax, and lignin in order to separate fibers.
bamboo and other  However, breaking and weakening of the fibers does occur to a greater or lesser degree at various
grasses, various leaves, stages during the pulping process.
cottonseed hair,
 Pulping is accomplished by either mechanical, thermal, chemical or a combination of these
mulberry bark, rags treatments.
and the woody fibers
of trees.  Pulps that retain most of the wood lignin consist of stiff fibers that do not produce strong papers; they
deteriorate in color and strength quite rapidly.
At present, about 97%
of the world's paper  These properties can be improved by removing most or all of the lignin by cooking wood with
and board is made solutions of various chemicals; the pulps thus produced are known as chemical pulps.
from wood pulp.  In contrast, mechanical pulps are produced by pressing logs onto a grindstone when the heat
Pulping refers to the generated by friction softens the lignin so that the fibers separate with very little damage. Mechanical
process wherein wood pulps can also be formed by grinding wood chips between two rotating refiner plates. In addition, there
or other fibrous raw are some processes which are categorized as semichemical and chemimechanical. The most prevalent
materials are reduced process is chemical pulping, which accounts for >70% of the worldwide production of pulp, of which
kraft pulping is the most prevalent at 80%
to a fibrous mass.
 1.1 MECHANICAL PULPING
➢Logs for mechanical pulping may be used directly in 1.2 m lengths or, alternatively, they may be chipped into pieces of
uniform size about 15-20 mm long.
➢Two methods of mechanical pulping are used. In one, the logs are pressed against the surface of large revolving
grindstone, kept wet by a stream of water which also removes the fibers.
➢In the other system, the wood chips are passed between the two plates of a disc refiner with specially treated surfaces,
very close together and rotating at high speed. In this way, the wood chips are reduced to individual fibers and the water
soluble impurities are removed while most of the lignin remains.
➢Mechanical pulp is normally made from softwood, typically spruce. The yield of pulp is higher, in the range of 70-80%.
➢Much grinder and disc-refined wood pulp is used for newsprint, magazine, folding and molding cartons, because of its low
cost and quick ink-absorbing properties (a consequence of the frayed and broken fibers). It is also used as board for folding
and molded cartons, tissues and similar products.
➢Mechanical pulps can be bleached using oxidative (e.g., hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite) or reductive (e.g.,
sodium hydrosulfite) bleaching agents. The bleaching is conducted in a lignin-conserving manner called brightening, in which
the chromophores are modified and little solubilization of the lignin occurs. Paper and paperboard containing mechanical
pulps have poor brightness stability, even after bleaching, particularly in the presence of UV radiation.
➢Bundle fibers are only removed, and hence, the bundle is stiff and bulky which do not collapse as chemical pulp. Paper
made from this type of pulp is relatively weak and dull compared to the alternative chemical pulp. This method is not as
efficient as chemical method.
 PROPERTIES OF MECHANICAL PULPING

Low cost Quick ink absorbing

High bulk
requirement property

Low mechanical
Excellent opacity Stiffness
strength

Mechanically separated fibre retains

the colour of the wood though this
can be made lighter by mild
chemical treatment.
 1.2 CHEMICAL PULPING

❖ There are several chemical pulping methods, each of which are based, either directly or indirectly,
❖ on the use of sodium hydroxide.
❖ The primary goal of chemical pulping is to selectively remove as much lignin as possible, especially from the
middle lamella, without degrading the carbohydrate components and negatively effecting pulp properties.
Therefore, the nature of the pulping chemicals influences the properties of the residual lignin and the
residual carbohydrates, and the selectivity of delignification is determined by the weight ratio of lignin
removal to carbohydrate removal.
❖ The pulp and paper industry uses the “kappa number” to express the lignin content of a pulp, a high
kappa number indicating a high lignin content.
❖ The kappa number of bleachable softwood and hardwood pulps is 30–40 and 18–20, respectively.
❖ For the production of chemical pulps, the bark is removed and the logs are passed through a chipper. The
chipped wood is charged into a digester with the cooking chemicals, and the digestion carried out under
pressure at the required temperature.
 1.2 CHEMICAL PULPS

 The residual lignin content in chemical pulp accounts for 2%–5%

of the mass and is responsible for the dark color of the
unbleached pulp.
 The reagents for full bleaching of chemical pulp are mostly
oxidative and since the carbohydrates are also susceptible to
Can be done in
oxidation, bleaching must be accomplished under the mildest two methods
conditions.
 Bleaching of chemical pulps is basically stepwise purification of
colloidal cellulose, and bleaching can therefore be regarded as a
continuation of the cooking process. Acid
Alkaline
process/Sulphite
 The bleaching of pulp is done through chemical reactions of process/Sulphate
bleaching agents with lignin and coloring matter in the pulp. The process
bleaching is performed in a number of stages utilizing one or
more of the following: chlorine dioxide, oxygen, ozone and
peroxide. Between these stages, the pulp is treated with alkali
to dissolve degradation products.
 1.2.1. Alkaline Process

A. Soda Process
❑ The first process for the manufacture of chemical wood Further
pulp was invented by Englishmen Hugh Burgess and
Charles Watt in 1851 and was patented in 1854. divided into
❑ The soda process consisted of boiling wood in 4%–6%
sodium hydroxide liquor at a high temperature
(170°C). Soda Kraft
❑ A later patent in 1865 covered the incineration of the process process
spent soda liquor to recover most of the alkali used in
the process.
❑ Less than 2% of the pulp produced today uses this
process which is very similar to the sulfate process,
except that only sodium hydroxide is used. Essentially all
former soda mills have converted to the sulfate process.
 B. Sulfate (Kraft) Process
❑ In 1879, German chemist Carl F. Dahl developed the sulfate method of pulping wood.
❑ The process was essentially a modification of the soda process, but instead of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfate
was the major chemical used as the cooking liquor.
❑ The new sulfate process produced a much stronger pulp which is more commonly known as kraft pulp after the
German and Swedish word for strength.
❑ Today, the sulfate process is the dominant chemical wood pulping process and uses an aqueous solution of
sodium sulfide (Na2S) and sodium hydroxide known as “white liquor” for cooking the chips. It takes its
name from the fact that sodium sulfate (or bisulfate) was used as the make-up chemical in the recovery process,
with sodium sulfate being reduced to sodium sulfide in the recovery furnace by reaction with carbon.
❑ The sulfate process has the ability to pulp any wood species, particularly pines, which are more resinous than firs
and spruces and not easily pulped by the acid sulfite process.
❑ Pulp produced by this process is stronger than that produced from the same wood by the acid sulfite process, and
the use of sulfate pulps in liner board has enabled the replacement of wooden cases by corrugated cartons.
❑ The sulfate and acid sulfite processes together account for over 90% of the chemical wood pulp currently
produced in the world.
 1.2.2. SULPHITE PROCESS

 Several pulping processes are based on the use of sulfur dioxide as the essential component
of the pulping liquor.
 Sulfur dioxide dissolves in water to form sulfurous acid, and a part of the acid is neutralized by
a base during preparation of the pulping liquor.
 The various sulfite processes differ in the kind of base used and in the amount of base added.
These differences govern the resulting acidity or pH of the liquor.
 These processes depend on the ability of sulfite solutions to render lignin partially soluble.
 For certain applications, sulfite pulps are still preferred and remain an important commodity,
especially for specialty papers (e.g., glassine) and as a source of cellulose for non-paper
applications.
 Sulfite pulps have higher brightness, higher yields at a given kappa, lower odor and lower
investment costs as compared to kraft pulps.
 1.3 SEMI CHEMICAL PULPING

❑ Semichemical pulping combines chemical and mechanical methods in which wood chips are partially
softened or digested with conventional chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate or
sodium sulfate, after which the remainder of the pulping action is supplied mechanically, most often
in disk refiners.
❑ The object of this process is to produce as high a yield as possible commensurate with the best
possible strength and cleanliness.
❑ The hemicelluloses, mostly lost in conventional chemical digestion processes, are retained to a
greater degree and result in an improvement in potential strength development.
❑ Although less flexible, semichemical pulps resemble chemical pulps more than mechanical pulps.
❑ The neutral-sulfite semichemical (NSSC) process (applied mainly to hardwood chips) uses sodium
sulfite and a small amount of sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate to give a slightly alkaline liquor.
The NSSC pulp is obtained in higher yield but with higher lignin content than in the other sulfite
processes. It is used mainly for the manufacture of corrugating medium.
 2. DIGESTION
The main objectives of digestion are as follows:
 To produce a well-cooked pulp, free from the noncellulosic portions of the wood (i.e.,
lignin and to a certain extent hemicelluloses)
 To achieve a maximum yield of raw material (i.e., pulp from wood) commensurate
The digestion process with pulp quality
essentially consists of  To ensure a constant supply of pulp of the correct quality
treating wood in chip form
in a pressurized vessel  Currently, most pulping processes are continuous, and to give an indication of the
under controlled processing conditions encountered. After steaming at low pressure, during which time
conditions of time, liquor turpentine and gases are vented to the condenser, the chips are brought to the digester
concentration and pressure of 1000 kPa.
pressure/temperature.  They are picked up in a stream of pulping solution and their temperature is raised to
170°C over 1.5 h.
 After holding at this temperature for a further 1.5 h, the digestion process is essentially
complete.
 After digestion, the liquor containing the soluble residue from the cook is washed out of
the pulp, which is then screened to remove knots and fiber bundles that have not fully
disintegrated. The pulp is then sent to the bleach plant or paper mill.
 3. BLEACHING
 Bleaching is a chemical process applied to chemical and mechanical pulps, primarily to increase their
brightness but it also improves the cleanliness of pulp through removing extractives and other contaminants.
 Pulps vary considerably in their color after pulping, depending on the wood species, method of processing and
extraneous components.
 The whiteness of pulp is measured by its ability to reflect monochromatic light in comparison to a known
standard (usually magnesium oxide).
 Brightness is an index of whiteness, measured as the reflectivity of a paper sample using light at 457 nm.
Unbleached pulps exhibit a range of brightness values from 15 to 60.
 Cellulose and hemicellulose are inherently white and do not contribute to color; it is the chromophoric groups
on the lignin that are largely responsible for the color of the pulp.
 Basically, there are two types of bleaching operations: Those that chemically modify the chromophoric groups by
oxidation or reduction but remove very little lignin or other substances from the fibers, and those that complete
the delignification process and remove some carbohydrate material.
 To fully remove lignin from pulp, multiple bleaching stages are required. In a typical bleaching process, individual
bleaching stages are generally separated by washing stages to remove residual chemicals and degraded lignin.
 Since bleaching reduces the strength of the pulp, it is necessary to reach a compromise between the brightness of
the finished sheet and its tensile properties.
 4. BEATING
 One of the most important processes used in the pre-preparation of fibers for paper making is the beating process.
 After pulping, the water content is 96%, and the pulp is beaten to rub and brush the individual fibers. This causes
them to split down their length, producing a mass of thin fibrils which will enable them to hold together in the
matted paper more strongly. This method is called fibrillation.
 The greater the degree of fibrillation, the stronger will be the paper. Different pulps respond differently to
this treatment.
 Softwood fibers will fibrillate to a greater extent than hardwood fibers, and hence softwoods are potentially able to
produce stronger papers.
 The main objective of beating is to improve the strength and other physical properties of the finished sheet. Beating
increases the surface area of the fiber, and also makes fibers flexible causing them to become relatively mobile and to
deform plastically on the paper machine.
 However, beating also cuts the fibers, which is undesirable, because in excess, it will lead to a loss of tear
strength. A compromise must be reached to optimize the performance of the paper.
 Fibrillation increases its tensile & burst strength while too much cutting lowers its burst strength.
 Furthermore, beating breaks up any fibre clumps and refines them into individual cellulose fibers. The art of breaking
packaging pulps is to maintain a high proportion of fibrillation and a low proportion of cutting in the pulp, to give the
desired properties in one finished paper.
PAPER MAKING MACHINE

 Fourdrinier machine – Modern type and most commonly used

 Cylinder machine
 Twin wire formers
 Pressers and dryers
TYPES OF PAPER

A wide range of papers and paperboards are commercially available to

meet market needs resulting from the choice of fibres available,
bleached and unbleached, virgin and recycled, and because fibres can
be modified at the stock preparation stage.

Paper and board based products can be made in a wide range of

grammages and thicknesses. The surface finish (appearance) can be varied
mechanically. Additives introduced at the stock preparation stage provide
special properties.

Coatings applied, smoothed and dried, to either one or both surfaces,

offer a variety of appearance and performance features which are
enhanced by subsequent printing and conversion, thereby resulting in
various types of packaging.
 WET STRENGTH PAPER

 Paper sacks used in wet conditions need to retain at least 30% of their
dry strength when saturated with water.
 To achieve wet strength, urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde
are added to the stock.
 These chemicals cross link during drying and are deposited on the surface
of the cellulose fibres making them resistant to water absorption.
 GREASEPROOF PAPER
•Greaseproof paper is a translucent, machine-finished paper which
has been hydrated to give oil and grease resistance.
•Prolonged beating or mechanical refining is used to fibrillate and
break the cellulose fibers which absorb so much water that they
become superficially gelatinized and sticky.
•This physical phenomenon is called hydration and results in
consolidation of the web in the paper machine with many of the
interstitial spaces filled in.
•The satisfactory performance of greaseproof papers depends on the
extent to which the pores have been closed. Provided that there are
few interconnecting pores between the fibers, the passage of liquids
is difficult.
However, they are not strictly “greaseproof” because oils and fats
will penetrate them after a certain interval of time. Despite this, they
are often used for packaging butter and
similar fatty foods since they resist the penetration of fat for a
reasonable period.
 GLASSINE PAPER

•Glassine paper derives its name from its glassy, smooth surface, high
density and transparency.
•It is produced by further treating greaseproof paper in a
supercalender where is it carefully dampened with water and run
through a battery of steam-heated rollers.
•This results in such intimate interfiber hydrogen bonding that the
refractive index of the glassine paper approaches the 1.02 value of
amorphous cellulose, indicating that very few pores or other fiber/air
interfaces exist for scattering light or allowing liquid penetration.
•The transparency can vary widely depending on the
•degree of hydration of the pulp and the basis weight of the paper.
•The addition of titanium dioxide makes the paper opaque, and it is
frequently plasticized to increase its toughness.
 VEGETABLE PARCHMENT PAPER

➢The process for producing parchment paper involves

passing a web of high quality, unsized chemical pulp through a
bath of concentrated sulfuric acid.
➢The cellulosic fibers swell and partially dissolve, filling the
interstices between the fibers and resulting in extensive
hydrogen bonding. It is stronger wet than dry, free of lint,
odor and taste, and resistant to grease and oils.
➢Because of its grease resistance and wet strength, it strips
away easily from food material without defibering, thus finding
use as an interleaver between slices of food such as meat or
pastry.
➢Labels and inserts in products with high oil or grease
content are frequently made from parchment. It is used to
wrap foods such as cheese.
 TISSUE PAPER

•Neutral pH grades with low chloride and sulphate

residues are laminated aluminium foil. The grammages
range from 17–30 g/m2.
•Tea and coffee bag tissue is a special light weight tissue
available either as a heat sealable product (containing a
proportion of Polypropylene fibres), or as a non-heat
sealable product, in grammages from 12–17 g/m2.
•It incorporates long fibres, such as those derived from
manilla hemp which give a strong permeable sheet at the
low grammages used.
 PAPER LABELS

 These may be MG (machine glazed), MF (machine finished) or calendered kraft papers (100% sulphate
chemical pulp) in the grammage range 70–90g/m2.
 The paper may be coated on-machine or cast coated for the highest gloss in an off-machine or
secondary process.
 The term finish in the paper industry refers to the surface appearance.This may be:
 MF – machine finish, smooth but not glazed
 WF – water finish where one or both sides are dampened and smoothed, to be smoother and glossier than MF
 MG – machine glazed with high gloss on one side only
 SC – supercalendered, i.e. dampened and polished off-machine to produce a high gloss on both sides.
 KRAFT PAPER

Kraft paper is typically coarse with

exceptional strength, often made on a
Fourdrinier machine and then either
machine-glazed on a Yankee dryer or
machine-finished on a calender. It is
sometimes made with no calendering so
that when it is converted into bags, the
rough surface will prevent them from sliding
over one another when stacked on pallets.
 BAG PAPER

 For sugar or flour, coated or uncoated bleached kraft in the range 90–100
g/m2 is used.
 Imitation kraft is a term on which there is no universally agreed definition, it
can be either a blend of kraft with recycled fibre or it can be 100% recycled.
 It is usually dyed brown. It has many uses for wrapping and for bags where it
may have an MG and a ribbed finish.
 Thinner grades may be used for lamination with aluminium foil and PE for
use on form/fill/seal machines.
 BLEACHED PAPER

 Bleached paper is manufactured from pulps which

are relatively white, bright and soft and receptive to
the special chemicals necessary to develop many
functional properties.
 It is generally more expensive and weaker than
unbleached paper.
 Its aesthetic appeal is frequently augmented by clay
coating on one or both sides.
 WAXED PAPER

 Waxed papers provide a barrier against penetration of liquids

and vapors.
 The major types are wet-waxed, dry-waxed, and wax-
laminated.
 Wet-waxed papers have a continuous surface film on one or
both sides, which is achieved by shock-chilling the waxed web
immediately after application of the wax.
 This also imparts a high degree of gloss on the coated surface.
 Dry-waxed papers are produced using heated rollers and do
not have a continuous film on the surfaces.
 Consequently, exposed fibers act as wicks and transport
moisture into the paper.
 Wax-laminated papers are bonded with a continuous film of
wax that acts as an adhesive.
 LAMINATING PAPER

Wax impregnated paper and fluorocarbon treatment

for grease/fat resistance is produced on-machine.
 SOLID BLEACHED PAPER (SBB)

 Solid bleached board is made exclusively from bleached chemical pulp

 It usually has a mineral pigment coated top surface and some grades
are also coated on the back.
 The term SBS (solid bleached sulphate), derived from the method of
pulp production, is sometimes used to describe this product.
 This paperboard has excellent surface and printing characteristics.
 It gives wide scope for innovative structural design and can be
embossed, cut, creased, folded and glued with ease.
 This is a pure cellulose primary (virgin) paperboard with consistent
purity for food product safety making it the best choice for the
packaging of aroma and flavour sensitive products.
 Examples of use include chocolate confectionery, frozen foods, cheese,
tea, coffee, reheatable products and as a base for liquid packaging.
 SOLID UNBLEACHED PAPER (SUB)

 Solid unbleached board is made exclusively from

unbleached chemical pulp
 The base board is brown in colour.
 This product is also known as solid unbleached
sulphate.
 To achieve a white surface it can be coated with
a white mineral pigment coating, sometimes in
combination with a layer of bleached white fibres
under the coating.
 This board is used where there is a high strength
 FOLDING BOXBOARD (FBB)

 Folding boxboard comprises middle layers of

mechanical pulp sandwiched between layers of
bleached chemical pulp
 The top layer of bleached chemical pulp is
usually coated with a white mineral pigment
coating.
 The back is cream (manilla) in colour. This is
because the back layer of bleached chemical
pulp is translucent allowing the colour of the
middle layers to show through.
 WHITE LINED CHIPBOARD (WLC)

 White lined chipboard comprises middle plies of recycled

pulp recovered from mixed papers or carton waste The
middle layers are grey in colour.
 The top layer, or liner of bleached chemical pulp is usually
white mineral pigment coated.
 The second layer, or under liner, may also comprise
bleached chemical pulp or mechanical pulp.
 This product is also known as newsboard.
 The term chipboard is also used, though this name is
more likely to be associated with an unlined grade, i.e.
without a white, or other colour, surface liner ply
PROPERTIES OF PAPER

Depends on
1. Raw materials
2. Type of Manufacturing Process
PROPERTIES

 The features of paper and paperboard which make these materials suitable for packaging relate to appearance and
performance.
 These features are determined by the type of paper and paperboard – the raw materials used and the way they
have been processed.
 Appearance and performance can be related to measurable properties which are controlled in the selection of
raw materials and the manufacturing process.
 National and international standard test procedures have been published by British Standards
(UK), DIN (Germany), ISO, and in the US there is TAPPI (Technical Association for the Pulp and
Paper Industry) and ASTM International (formally the American Society for Testing Materials).
1. APPEARANCE

 Appearance relates to the visual impact of the pack and can be expressed in terms of colour, smoothness and
whether the surface has a high or low gloss (matte) finish.
 Colour depends on the choice of fibre for the outer surface, and also, where appropriate, the reverse side. As
described above, the choice is either white, brown or grey. In addition some liners for corrugated board comprise
a mix of bleached and brown fibres.
 Other colours are technically possible either by using fibres dyed to a specific colour or coated with a mineral
pigment coloured coating. Where paper and paperboard is required for quality printing, it is usually coated on the
print side during manufacture with a mineral based coating, usually white in colour, based on china clay or calcium
carbonate. The reverse side may also be coated where two side printing is required.
2. PERFORMANCE

 Performance properties are related to the level of efficiency achieved during the manufacture of the pack, in
printing, cutting and creasing, gluing and the packing operation.
 Performance properties are also related to pack compression strength in storage, distribution, at the point of sale
and in consumer use.
 Specific measurable properties include stiffness, short span compression (rigidity) strength, tensile
strength, wet strength, % stretch, tear strength, fold endurance, puncture resistance and ply bond
strength. Other performance properties relate to moisture content, air permeability, water absorbency,
surface friction, surface tension, ink absorbency etc.
 Chemical properties include pH, whilst chloride and sulphate residues are relevant for aluminium foil lamination.
Flatness is easily evaluated but is a complicated issue as lack of flatness can arise from several potential causes,
from the hygrosensitivity characteristics of the fibre, manufacturing variables and handling at any stage including
printing and use.
 Neutrality with respect to odour and taint, and product safety are performance needs which are important in
the context of paper and board packaging which is in direct or close proximity to food.
TECHNIQUES TO INCREASE THE PERFORMANCE

During manufacturing
• Hard sizing
• Sizing with wax on machine
• Acrylic resin dispersion coating
• Fluorocarbon dispersion coating
Lamination - Off-machine
• Aluminium foil
• Greaseproof paper
• Glassine paper
OFF-MACHINE PROCESSING
 LAMINATION

 This process applies another functional or decorative material, in sheet or reel form, to the paper or
paperboard surface with the help of an adhesive. Examples are:
 Aluminium foil applied to one or both sides – provides a barrier to moisture, flavour, common
gases such as oxygen, and UV light. Aluminium foil laminated to paper and paperboard is also used for
direct contact and easy release for foods which will be cooked or reheated in radiation or convection
ovens. Aluminium foil is also used to provide a decorative metallic finish as, for example, on cartons for
chocolate confectionery.
 Greaseproof paper laminated to paperboard – good grease resistance for fat containing products,
temperature resistance to 180°C for cooking/ reheatable packs. If additionally the greaseproof paper has a
release coating, this product can be used to pack sticky or tacky products.
 Glassine paper laminated to paperboard – grease resistance for products with moderate fat
content such as cakes or bake-in-box applications. If the glassine is coloured the pack should not be used
in reheatable appli- cations but food contact approved grades can be used for direct contact with, for
example, chocolate.
 The adhesives used for lamination include PVA-type emulsions, starch based, resin/solvent based,
cross linking compounds, molten wax or PE depending on the needs of the particular laminate. The
presence of wax and PE also improves the barrier to water vapour. When PE is used as an adhesive the
process would be described as extrusion lamination.
 PLASTIC EXTRUSION COATING AND LAMINATING
 Polyethylene (PE) heat sealable moisture barrier. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) is widely used in the plastic extrusion
coating and laminating of paper and paperboard.
 Easier heat sealing results when PE is modified with EVA (Ethylene vinyl acetate). Medium and high density PE has a
higher temperature limit, better abrasion resistance and higher barrier properties than LDPE. One and two side coatings
are available
 Polypropylene (PP) heat sealable, moisture and fat barrier. It can withstand temperatures up to 140°C and is used for
packing foods to be reheated in ovens up to this temperature. One and two side coatings are available.
 Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) heat sealable, moisture and fat barrier. It can withstand temperatures up to 200°C and
is dual ovenable (microwave and conventional ovens). It is coated only on the non-printing side.
 Polymethylpentene (PMP) moisture and fat barrier and not heat sealable. It is therefore used as flat sheets, deep drawn
trays and trays with mechanically locked corners. It is coated only on the non-printing side.
 Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and polyamide (PA) heat sealable, fat, oxygen and light barrier. EVOH is moisture sensitive
and needs to be sandwiched between hydrophobic materials, such as PE. It can be used as a non-metallic alternative to
the aluminium foil layer.
 Ionomer resin (Surlyn™), a polyolefin with high resistance to fat, including essential oils in citrus fruit, and moisture with
very good sealing properties, is used as a tie layer on aluminium foil when applying PE to foil.
 The process of extrusion is often extended to include extrusion lamination so that a structure, such as paper or
paperboard/PE/aluminium foil/PE, can be produced in one operation on an extruder with two extruding units.
 PRINTING AND VARNISHING

 Usually, printing and varnishing are associated with the appearance of

the pack with respect to the visual impact of the pack through colour,
information, text and illustration.
 All the main printing processes are used – Gravure, Flexographic,
Letterpress, Silk Screen and Lithographic. Paper and paperboard can
also be printed by the recently introduced digital process.
 Choice is influenced by the appearance and performance (functional)
needs and commercial aspects such as order size, lead time and price.
The inks and varnishes may be those described as traditional for the
process concerned, based on pigment, resin and vehicle.
 For some food products where the print is in close proximity to the
food, e.g. chocolate confectionery, it is important that no residual
solvents from the inks and varnishes, or any other interaction
between print and product affects the food product.
PACKAGING FORMS

1. Tea and coffee bags

2. Paper bags and wrapping paper
3. Sachets / Pouches / Overwraps
4. Multiwall paper sacks
5. Folding cartons
6. Liquid packaging cartons
7. Rigid cartons or boxes
 CORRUGATED BOARD

1. Construction : linerboard and medium

Material :Heavy paper ---containerboard
Facings---kraft linerboard
Medium---one-ply sheet, hardwood or recycled fiber

Linerboard
(flat facing)

Medium
(fluted wavy)
 CORRUGATED BOARD - TYPES
2 Four types combined board

a. Single Face
c. Double Wall
one medium
one liner board two mediums
(for protective wrapping) three liner boards

b. Single Wall
(Double Face) d. Triple Wall
one medium three mediums
two liner boards four liner boards

Direction: Machine Direction

Cross Direction ----flute direction
 CORRUGATED BOARD

3. Flutes
Profile: arches with proper curve---- the strongest way to span space
Flutes as arches--- resist bending and pressure, support weight, as cushion.
Proper curve: between U and V (Also has its advantages)
Flutes also as a insulator to protect sudden temperature changes
Vertical linerboard provides strength; protects from damage.

Several standard shapes (A,B,C,E,F…) ,

Contrast:
A-flute ---- the largest profile
B-flute ----smaller than A
C-flute ----between A and B
E-flute ---- smaller than B
F-flute ---- micro-flute
New flute---Macro-flute
 CORRUGATED BOARD

Grammage: the mass in grams per square

meter. The most commonly used
corrugating medium weights
Grammage/g Basis Weight/b
Basis weight: the weight in pounds per 1,000
square feet ( abbreviated lb/MSF). 127 26

147 30

4 . Fiberboard Grades : Weight ; Thickness ; Material 161 33

195 40

Material :
• Linerboard --- natural kraft ;Solid bleached white kraft ; Mottled white ; Oyserboard
Linerboard with a whiter surface provide better graphics.
• Recycled or secondary fiber ---producing both two components
Recycled board ---smoother surface finish excellent printing surface.
 CORRUGATED BOARD

5. Corrugating Adhesive

The corrugating machine forms the medium into a fluted pattern and bonds it to the linerboard facings , usually
with a starch-based adhesive
1) A starch-based adhesive applied at about 10 to 14 grams per square meter.
2) Requirements : not tolerant high moisture and loses strength quickly.
3) When higher resistance is needed, starches can be modified or supplemented by the addition of various
polymeric materials.
4) Weather-resistant adhesive would maintain box properties at a somewhat higher level for a longer period.
5) Water-resistant adhesive would be required for those applications where the finished container will be in
actual contact with water for periods of time, and the coating or waxed should be treated
 CORRUGATED BOARD - MANUFACTURE
Corrugating machine is made up of a set of stations that take the appropriate linerboards and
mediums, shape the flutes, join fluted medium to linerboards.

Precondition medium with heat and steam

Pretreated linerboards to the same temperature
and moisture
Brass fingers
Flute tips adhesive

The single-facer of a corrugating machine is where the flutes are formed

and bonded to the inside liner
 CORRUGATED BOARD - MANUFACTURE
Bridge ---Draped in an overlapping wave pattern to the double-backer station
Purpose---Isolating the two ends of the corrugating machine; balance; slow down

The double-backer section of corrugating machine where a second linerboard is applied to the
single-faced material coming from the single-facer unit
 CORRUGATED BOARD

Manufacture:
 Adhesive --- On the other side of the medium to glue outer linerboard.
 Final heating and cooling section --- Between two long , flat belts.
 Trimming edges--- Slit board to required width and length and stack
 Balanced construction--- Outer and inner have identical grammage.
 Upgrading only one liner may gain performance.
 Unbalanced constructions --- more problems with board wrappage.
 Heavier liner is placed on the outside for better printing and on the inside for better compression
strength.
 PROPERTIES AND TESTS

Most board tests are described in methods provided by TAPPI.

Standard corrugated board burst and crush tests.

 PROPERTIES AND TESTS

1. Mullen burst test (TAPPI T 810)

• Forcing a rubber diaphragm against the facing until it bursts

2. ECT (TAPPI T 811)

• A small specimen is placed between the platens of a compression tester and loaded until failure occurs. Values are a function of
the stiffness contributed by the facings and the medium. ECT values have a direct relationship to the projected stacking strength.
3. Flat Crush Test (TAPPI T 808)
• Similar to the edge compression test except the specimen is compressed in the flat. The test provides a measure of flute rigidity.

4. Combined Weight of Facing

• Describes the combined linerboard weight per 1,000 square feet of corrugated board

5.Thickness of Corrugated Board (TAPPI T 411)

• Reduced board thickness (caliper) is an excellent indicator of reduced compression strength; Caliper can be reduced by improper
manufacture, excessive printing pressure, improper handling and storage
6. Gurley Porosity (TAPPI T 460 and T 536)
• Measures the time it takes for a given volume of air to pass through a paper. The lower the number, the more porous the paper.
The porosity of paper is sometimes the culprit when problems occur at vacuum-cup transfer points.
 PROPERTIES AND TESTS

7. Flexural Stiffness (TAPPI T 820)

• Related to box compression strength. Reduced stiffness is a good indicator of damage during fabrication.

8. Water Take-up Tests (TAPPI T 441)

• The Cobb size test, measures the amount of water absorbed by the facing in a given time, used to measure water absorption for
materials specified to be used for hazardous product containers
9. Puncture Test (TAPPI T 803)
• Measures the energy required to puncture a board with a triangular pyramidal point affixed to a pendulum arm.
• Test the resistance and stiffness of triple wall corrugated
• The box maker’s stamp on triple wall containers calls for a puncture test

10. Pin Adhesion (TAPPI T 821)

• Pin adhesion quantifies the strength of the bond between the medium's flute tips and the linerboard facings.

11. Ply Separation (TAPPI T 812)

• Evaluates the board's resistance to ply separation when exposed to water.

12. Coefficient of Friction (TAPPI T 815 and ASTM 04521).

• CoF can affect machinability and load stability. A stress/strain machine method will give both static and dynamic CoF values