Pulp and Paper Processes

Keith Larson
 Gutenberg Press in 1436
 On September 30, 1452 Guttenberg's
Bible was published

The printing press allowed

printed materials to be
produced at a greater rate
thus increasing the demand
for paper
 First North American paper mill in 1690 near
Philadelphia

 America's first writing papers were produced by

collecting, separating, and cleaning old cloth rags

 The paper was made in single sheets

 1798, Nicholas-Louis Robert of France
invented a paper making machine that
produced paper on an endless wire screen

 Further developed in England by Brian

Donkin

 Not put into service until 1804

 1. A material made of cellulose pulp, derived
mainly from wood, rags, and certain grasses,
processed into flexible sheets or rolls by
deposit from an aqueous suspension, and used
chiefly for writing, printing, drawing,
wrapping, and covering walls.
 2. A single sheet of material.
 Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing
upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It
is produced by pressing together moist fibers,
typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags
or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets.
 Paper is a versatile material with many uses.
Whilst the most common is for writing and
printing upon, it is also widely used as a
packaging material, in many cleaning products, in
a number of industrial and construction
processes, and even as a food ingredient –
particularly in Asian cultures.
 3. One or more sheets of paper bearing writing
or printing, especially:a. A formal written
composition intended to be published,
presented, or read aloud; a scholarly essay or
treatise.
 b. A piece of written work for school; a report
or theme.
 c. An official document, especially one
establishing the identity of the bearer.
 Paper, and the pulp papermaking process, was
said to be developed in China during the early
2nd century AD by the Han court eunuch Cai Lun
, although the earliest archaeological fragments
of paper derive from the 2nd century BC in China
10
 Basis Weight (GSM)
The weight or substance per unit area is obviously
fundamental in paper and paper board products. The Basis
weight of paper is the weight per unit area. This can be
expressed as the weight in grams per square metre (GSM or
g/M2), pounds per 1000 sq. ft. or weight in kgs or pounds per
ream (500 sheets) of a specific size. REAM WEIGHT is a
common term to signify the weight of a lot or batch of paper.
Control of basis weight is important as all other properties are
affected. Variations in moisture content in paper affects the
grammage.
 An important consequence of the absorption and de-absorption of
moisture by paper is the change in dimension that usually
accompanies changes in moisture content. Such changes in
dimension may seriously affect register in printing processes and
interfere with the use of such items as tabulating cards. Uneven
dimensional changes cause undesirable cockling and curling.
Dimensional changes in paper originate in the swelling and
contraction of the individual fibres. It has been observed that
cellulosic fibres swell in diameter from 15 to 20% in passing from
the dry condition to the fibre saturation point.
 It is impossible to be precise about the degree of this swelling
because paper-making fibres differ considerably in this
property, and because the irregular cross-section of fibres
creates difficulty in defining diameter. Change that occurs in
the dimensions of paper with variation in the moisture content
is an important consideration in the use of paper. All papers
expand with increased moisture content and contract with
decreased moisture content, but the rate and extent of changes
vary with different papers.
 Folding endurance is the paper's capability of withstanding
multiple folds before it breaks. It is defined as the number of
double folds that a strip of 15 mm wide and 100 mm length can
withstand under a specified load before it breaks. It is important
for printing grades where the paper is subjected to multiple folds
like in books, maps, or pamphlets. Fold test is also important for
carton, box boards, ammonia print paper, and cover paper etc.
Folding endurance is a requirement in Bond, Ledger, Currency,
Map, Blue Print and Record Papers.
 Gloss
It is the specularly and diffusely reflected light
component measurement against a known
standard. Gloss is important for printing such
things as magazine advertisements. The level of
gloss desired is very dependent on the end use of
the paper. Gloss and smoothness are different
properties and are not dependent on each other.
 Moisture
Most physical properties of paper undergo change as a result of
variations in moisture content. Water has the effect of plasticising
the cellulose fibre and of relaxing and weakening the interfibre
bonding. The electrical resistance and the dielectric constant of
paper both vary with moisture content. The absorption and
reflectance of certain bands of infrared and microwave radiation
by paper are affected by its moisture content. The amount of
water present in a sheet of paper is usually expressed as a
percent. The amount of water plays an important role in
calendaring, printing and converting process. Moisture control is
also significant to the economic aspect of paper making. Poor
moisture control can adversely affect many paper properties.
 Opacity
Opacity is the measure of how much light is
kept away from passing through a sheet. A
perfectly opaque paper is the one that is
absolutely impervious to the passage of all
visible light. It is the ratio of diffused
reflectance and the reflectance of single sheet
backed by a black body. Opacity is important
in Printing Papers, Book Papers, etc.
 Porosity
Because paper is composed of a randomly felted layer of fibre, it
follows that the structure has a varying degree of porosity. Thus, the
ability of fluids, both liquid and gaseous, to penetrate the structure
of paper becomes a property that is both highly significant to the use
of paper. Paper is a highly porous material and contains as such as
70% air. Porosity is a highly critical factor in Printing Papers
Laminating Paper, Filter Paper, Cigarette Paper. Bag Paper and
Label Paper. Porosity is the measurement of the total connecting air
voids, both vertical and horizontal, that exists in a sheet. Porosity of
sheet is an indication of absorptivity or the ability of the sheets to
accept ink or water. Porosity can also be a factor in a vacuum
feeding operation on a printing press.
 Sizing / Cobb
Because paper is composed of a randomly felted layer of fibre,
it's structure has a varying degree of porosity. Thus, the ability
of fluids, both liquid and gaseous, to penetrate the structure of
paper becomes a property that is both highly significant to the
use of paper. The need to limit the spreading of ink resulted in
"sizing" the paper with gelatinous vegetable materials which
had the effect of sealing or filling the surface pores. Later, the
term "sizing" was applied to the treatment of paper stock prior
to the formation of the sheet, with water-repellent materials
such as rosin or wax. Resistance towards the penetration of
aqueous solution / water is measured by Sizing or Cobb
values.
 Smoothness
Smoothness is concerned with the surface contour of paper. It is
the flatness of the surface under testing conditions which
considers roughness, liveliness, and compressibility. In most of
the uses of paper, the character of the surface is of great
importance. It is common to say that paper has a "smooth" or a
"rough" texture. The terms "finish" and "pattern" are frequently
used in describing the contour or appearance of paper surfaces.
Smoothness in important for writing, where it affects the ease of
travel of the pen over the paper surface. Finish is important in
bag paper as it is related to the tendency of the bag to slide when
stacked. Smoothness of the paper will often determine whether or
not it can be successfully printed. Smoothness also gives eye
appeal as a rough paper is unattractive.
 Stiffness
Stiffness is the measure of force required to bend a paper
through a specified angle. Stiffness is an important
property for box boards, corrugating medium and to
certain extent for printing papers also. A limpy and
flimsy paper can cause feeding and delivery problems in
larger sheet presses. A sheet that is too stiff will cause
problems in copier machines where it must traverse over,
under, and around feed rollers. Bond papers also require
certain stiffness to be flat in typewriters etc.
 Stretch (Elongation)
Stretch is the amount of distortion which paper
undergoes under tensile stress. Stretchlelongation is
usually expressed, as percent stretch to rupture.
Stretch can be related to the paper's ability to conform
and maintain conformance to a particular contour, e.g.
Copier paper, multicolor offset printing papers,
liquids packing cartons base papers etc. It is an
important property in sack kraft papers which are
used for cement bags etc. Stretch is higher in cross
direction than machine direction.
 Tearing Resistance
Tearing resistance indicates the behaviour of paper in various
end use situations; such as evaluating web runnability,
controlling the quality of newsprint and characterising the
toughness of packaging papers where the ability to absorb
shocks is essential. fibre length and interfibre bonding are both
important factors in tearing strength. The fact that longer
fibres improve tear strength is well recognised. The
explanation is straight forward; longer fibres tend to distribute
the stress over a greater area, over more fibres and more
bonds, while short fibres allow the stress to be concentrated in
a smaller area.
 Temperature and Humidity: Conditioning of Paper
Conditioning of paper is also of importance in many printing and
converting operations. In addition to the effect of moisture content
on physical properties, it also determines the build up of static of
the paper sheet subjected to pressure and to friction. The tendency
for paper to develop static becomes greater with increasing
dryness. Cellulosic fibres are hygroscopic i.e. they are capable of
absorbing water from the surrounding atmosphere. The amount of
absorbed water depends on the humidity and the temperature of
the air in contact with the paper. Hence, changes in temperature
and humidity, even slight changes, can often affect the test results.
So, it is necessary to maintain standard conditions of humidity and
temperature for conditioning.
 Thickness
Thickness or Caliper of paper is measured with a
micrometre as the perpendicular distance between two
circular, plane, parallel surfaces under a pressure of 1 kg./
CM2. Caliper is a critical measurement of uniformity.
Variations in caliper, can affect several basic properties
including strength, optical and roll quality. Thickness is
important in filling cards, printing papers, condenser paper,
saturating papers etc.
 Abrasive Kraft
Used For : Abrasive Kraft is used for making sand paper used in roughening applications.
 Absorbent Kraft
Used For : Used for Laminates, tube making and defence applications.
 Alkaline Paper
Paper having pH values greater than 7 made by an alkaline manufacturing process.
 Anti Rust Paper
Paper which has the property of protecting the surfaces of ferrous metals against rust.
 Antique Paper
Printing paper having good bulk and opacity with rough or matt surface.
 Art Paper
Normally, china clay (kaolin) coated on both sides of the paper. This finish of both the sides is
same, be it glossy or matt.
 Used For : Brochures, calendars, magazine covers, magazine text, where high quality printing
is required
 Azurelaid Paper
A laid paper usually bluish green in colour having a good writing surface.
The process of making paper begins far from
the paper mill itself

Clearcut in Oregon's Coast Range

Paper Making Process Overview [Chesterton, 2004]
Wood Yard [Chesterton, 2004]
 Five Methods of pulping

1) Mechanical Pulping
2) Chemimechanical
3) Thermomechanical
4) Chemimechanical and Thermomechanical
Pulping (CTMP)
5) Chemical Pulping
 There are two major mechanical pulps,
thermo mechanical pulp (TMP) and groundwood pulp
(GW). In the TMP process, wood is chipped and then fed
into large steam-heated refiners where the chips are
squeezed and made into fibres between two steel discs.
In the groundwood process, debarked logs are fed into
grinders where they are pressed against rotating stones
and made into fibres
 Mechanical pulping does not remove the lignin,
so the yield is very high, >95%, but also causes
paper made from this pulp to yellow and become
brittle over time. Mechanical pulps have rather
short fibre lengths and produce weak paper.
Although large amounts of electrical energy are
required to produce mechanical pulp, it costs less
than chemical pulp.
 Lignin or lignen is a complex chemical compound
most commonly derived from wood, and an integral
part of the secondary cell walls of plants[1] [2] The term
was introduced in 1819 by de Candolle and is derived
from the Latin word lignum,[3] meaning wood. It is
one of the most abundant organic polymers on Earth,
exceeded only by cellulose, employing 30% of non-
fossil organic carbon,[4] and constituting from a
quarter to a third of the dry mass of wood.
 To make pulp from wood, a chemical pulping process
separates lignin from cellulose fibers. This is
accomplished by dissolving lignin in a cooking liquor, so
that it may be washed from the cellulose fibers. This
preserves the length of the cellulose fibers. Paper made
from chemical pulps are also known as wood-free
papers–not to be confused with tree-free paper. This is
because they do not contain lignin, which deteriorates
over time
 The pulp can also be bleached to produce white
paper, but this consumes 5% of the fibers.
Chemical pulping processes are not used to make
paper made from cotton, which is already 90%
cellulose.
 The pulp is fed to a paper machine where it is formed as
a paper web and the water is removed from it by
pressing and drying.
 Pressing the sheet removes the water by force. Once the
water is forced from the sheet, felt (not to be confused
with the traditional felt) is used to collect the water.
When making paper by hand, a blotter sheet is used.
 Drying involves using air and or heat to remove water
from the paper sheet. In the earliest days of
papermaking this was done by hanging the paper
sheets like laundry. In more modern times, various
forms of heated drying mechanisms are used. On the
paper machine, the most common is the steam-heated
can dryer. These dryers can heat to temperatures
above 200 °F (93 °C) and are used in long sequences
of more than 40 cans. The heat produced by these can
easily dry the paper to less than 6% moisture.
 The paper may then undergo sizing to alter its physical
properties for use in various applications. Sizing is used during
paper manufacture to reduce the paper's tendency when dry to
absorb liquid, with the goal of allowing inks and paints to
remain on the surface of the paper and to dry there, rather than
be absorbed into the paper. This provides a more consistent,
economical, and precise printing, painting, and writing
surface.
 Paper at this point is uncoated. Coated paper has a thin layer of
material such as calcium carbonate or china clay applied to one or
both sides in order to create a surface more suitable for high-
resolution halftone screens. (Uncoated papers are rarely suitable
for screens above 150 lpi.) Coated or uncoated papers may have
their surfaces polished by calendering. Coated papers are divided
into matte, semi-matte or silk, and gloss. Gloss papers give the
highest optical density in the printed image
 The paper is then fed onto reels if it is to be used
on web printing presses, or cut into sheets for
other printing processes or other purposes. The
fibres in the paper basically run in the machine
direction. Sheets are usually cut "long-grain", i.e.
with the grain parallel to the longer dimension of
the sheet.
 Paper may be classified into seven categories:[14]
 Printing papers of wide variety.
 Wrapping papers for the protection of goods and merchandise. This includes
wax and kraft papers.
 Writing paper suitable for stationary requirements. This includes ledger, bank,
and bond paper.
 Blotting papers containing little or no size.
 Drawing papers usually with rough surfaces used by artists and designers,
including cartridge paper.
 Handmade papers including most decorative papers, Ingres papers, Japanese
paper and tissues, all characterized by lack of grain direction.
 Specialty papers including cigarette paper, toilet tissue, and other industrial
papers.
The chemical method is the most popular because it
produces a higher quality paper than mechanical
pulping

The most popular method of pulp production is the

Kraft process, producing nearly 85% of all pulp in the
United States

This will be the focus of the pulping description

Chesterton Pulp Digester [Chesterton, 2004]
The pulp and paper industry came into its own
during a period when the environmental effects
of chemical plants were not well understood, and
discharges were not well regulated

The operation of a pulp and paper mill creates

many environmental concerns
 Brush Creek, Private Land, Oregon

 One of the very first

impacts of the paper
industry was the
deforestation of large
tracts of land in the early
1900s
 Today the paper
companies practice a
process of sustainable
forestry
The Sustainable Forest Initiative program was
developed in 1994 by the American Forest & Paper
Association to ensure forests are protected

“responsible environmental practices and sound

business practices can be integrated to the benefit
of landowners, shareholders, customers and the
people they serve” [aboutsfi, 2004]
 For every tree harvested
today, the paper companies
are planting five seedlings
 There is now more
forestland than in 1970
 The Sustainable Forest
Initiative has been a success
 Many environmental concerns surround
water usage

 Release of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)

and Sludge
 Hydrogen Sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide is a toxic gas that smells like rotten eggs

At elevated levels, it can irritate the eyes and respiratory

system

It can be deadly at very high levels (greater than 500,000

parts per billion)
 No current Federal Limits on H2S

 In January 2000, EPA issued a Federal

Register notice announcing H2S is one of the
chemicals for which EPA is developing a
health assessment

 Individual States are setting limits

 Reduction of Wastewater

 Reduce the demand for the high quality bright-

white paper
 For “lower quality” papers use a combination
of other chemicals in the bleach process
(oxygen for example)
 Do a better job of pulping the wood
 Machine and Cross Direction
Paper has a definite grain direction due to greater
orientation of fibres in the direction of travel of the paper
machine. This grain direction is known as machine
direction. The cross direction is the direction of paper at
right angles to the machine direction. Some of the
properties vary with the MD and CD and hence the values
are reported in both the directions. While sheeting the
paper, machine and cross direction are to be kept in mind
and the sheet cutting to be done to suit the end use
requirements
 Examples: 1. All printing papers are to be cut in long
grain (The biggest dimension in the grain direction).
2. Book papers fold better and the book stays open
better if the sheets are out so that the machine
direction runs up and down the pages. 3. Wrap around
labels for metal cans and bottles are to be cut with the
machine direction vertical to obtain greater flexibility
about the can. Long grain and Short grain : The sheet
is in long grain if the larger dimension is parallel to
grain (MD) direction. The sheet is said to be in short
grain if the larger dimension is parallel to cross
direction (CD).
Ash and smoke,
byproducts of
burning the black
liquor and fuel in
the recovery boiler
and power boiler,
escapes thru the
smoke stacks
 Improved electrostatic precipitators are being
installed to help prevent the release of ash and
smoke into the atmosphere

 The process of concentrating the black liquor

has been improved

 Use cleaner burning fuels

 Still have a long way to go to prevent any
environmental impact
 Operating a paper mill is a balancing act

Cost Environment

Quality Time
 Advances Toward Sustainability

 Sustainable Forest Initiative Program

 Recovery of Process Chemicals
 Recycling of Process Water
 Reduction of Dioxin Production
 Make use of by-product Residue
Tall Oil – used in paints, perfume, cosmetics
Turpentine
“responsible environmental practices and sound business
practices can be integrated to the benefit of landowners,
shareholders, customers and the people they serve”
 Raw Materials
 Probably half of the fiber used for paper today comes from wood that has been purposely harvested. The remaining material comes from wood fiber from sawmills, recycled newspaper, some
vegetable matter, and recycled cloth. Coniferous trees, such as spruce and fir, used to be preferred for papermaking because the cellulose fibers in the pulp of these species are longer, therefore
making for stronger paper. These trees are called "softwood" by the paper industry. Deciduous trees (leafy trees such as poplar and elm) are called "hardwood." Because of increasing demand for
paper, and improvements in pulp processing technology, almost any species of tree can now be harvested for paper.
 Some plants other than trees are suitable for paper-making. In areas without significant forests, bamboo has been used for paper pulp, as has straw and sugarcane. Flax,
 Most paper is made by a mechanical or chemical process.
 hemp, and jute fibers are commonly used for textiles and rope making, but they can also be used for paper. Some high-grade cigarette paper is made from flax.
 Cotton and linen rags are used in fine-grade papers such as letterhead and resume paper, and for bank notes and security certificates. The rags are usually cuttings and waste from textile and
garment mills. The rags must be cut and cleaned, boiled, and beaten before they can be used by the paper mill.
 Other materials used in paper manufacture include bleaches and dyes, fillers such as chalk, clay, or titanium oxide, and sizings such as rosin, gum, and starch.
 The Manufacturing
Process
 Making pulp
 1 Several processes are commonly used to convert logs to wood pulp. In the mechanical process, logs are first tumbled in drums to remove the bark. The logs are then sent to grinders, which break
the wood down into pulp by pressing it between huge revolving slabs. The pulp is filtered to remove foreign objects. In the chemical process, wood chips from de-barked logs are cooked in a
chemical solution. This is done in huge vats called digesters. The chips are fed into the digester, and then boiled at high pressure in a solution of
 sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. The chips dissolve into pulp in the solution. Next the pulp is sent through filters. Bleach may be added at this stage, or colorings. The pulp is sent to the
paper plant.
 Beating
 2 The pulp is next put through a pounding and squeezing process called, appropriately enough, beating. Inside a large tub, the pulp is subjected to the effect of machine beaters. At this point,
various filler materials can be added such as chalks, clays, or chemicals such as titanium oxide. These additives will influence the opacity and other qualities of the final product. Sizings are also
added at this point. Sizing affects the way the paper will react with various inks. Without any sizing at all, a paper will be too absorbent for most uses except as a desk blotter. A sizing such as
starch makes the paper resistant to water-based ink (inks actually sit on top of a sheet of paper, rather than sinking in). A variety of sizings, generally rosins and gums, is available depending on the
eventual use of the paper. Paper that will receive a printed design, such as gift wrapping, requires a particular formula of sizing that will make the paper accept the printing properly.
 Pulp to paper
 3 In order to finally turn the pulp into paper, the pulp is fed or pumped into giant, automated machines. One common type is called the Fourdrinier machine, which was invented in England in
1807. Pulp is fed into the Fourdrinier machine on a moving belt of fine mesh screening. The pulp is squeezed through a series of rollers, while suction devices below the belt drain off water. If the
paper is to receive a water-mark, a device called a dandy moves across the sheet of pulp and presses a design into it. The paper then moves onto the press section of the machine, where it is pressed
between rollers of wool felt. The paper then passes over a series of steam-heated cylinders to remove the remaining water. A large machine may have from 40 to 70 drying cylinders.
 Finishing
 4 Finally, the dried paper is wound onto large reels, where it will be further processed depending on its ultimate use. Paper is smoothed and compacted further by passing through metal rollers
called calendars. A particular finish, whether soft and dull or hard and shiny, can be imparted by the calendars. The paper may be further finished by passing through a vat of sizing material. It may
also receive a coating, which is either brushed on or rolled on. Coating adds chemicals or pigments to the paper's surface, supplementing the sizings and fillers from earlier in the process. Fine clay
is often used as a coating. The paper may next be supercalendered, that is, run through extremely smooth calendar rollers, for a final time. Then the paper is cut to the desired size.
 Environmental Concerns
 The number of trees and other vegetation cut down in order to make paper is enormous. Paper companies insist that they plant as many new trees as they cut down. Environmentalists contend that
the new growth trees, so much younger and smaller than what was removed, cannot replace the value of older trees. Efforts to recycle used paper (especially newspapers) have been effective in at
least partially mitigating the need for destruction of woodlands, and recycled paper is now an important ingredient in many types of paper production.
 The chemicals used in paper manufacture, including dyes, inks, bleach, and sizing, can also be harmful to the environment when they are released into water supplies and nearby land after use. The
industry has, sometimes with government prompting, cleared up a large amount of pollution, and federal requirements now demand pollutionfree paper production. The cost of such clean-up efforts
is passed on to the consumer.


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