One of the most ancient materials produced by man is paper. Paper is believed to have been invented in China. However, people around the world began to produce material similar to Chinese, but from the materials that were available to them in their territory. That is why even today there are so many types of paper: parchment, birch bark, rice paper, papyrus, etc.
Paper has been used for record keeping and book printing, but interesting uses have been discovered. For example, in China, paper was used to make walls and doors for traditional houses. And although such structures were short-lived and broke at the first strong gusts of wind, they fully conveyed all the traditions and style of the country.
Paper production
Paper is produced in specialized mills and factories staffed by people trained in specific branches of the pulp and paper industry. The paper production process consists of several stages. It begins with pulping, when wood chips or waste paper are mixed with chemicals and heated under high pressure. As a result, wood fibers are separated from non-fibrous materials such as plastic and paint. The pulp is then washed and screened to remove any remaining impurities.
Then comes the bleaching stage, in which the pulp is treated with chemicals to make it white. This is important because paper made from unbleached pulp will have a brown color. After that, the pulp is subjected to refining, that is, whipping on machines specially designed for this purpose until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
At the next stage, fillers are added to the pulp – materials that make it more opaque and prevent the paint from spreading on the paper. Minerals such as clay or calcium carbonate can be used as fillers.
The mixture is then placed in a machine called a Fourdrinier machine. It is a continuous wire on which fibers and fillers are laid to form a wet sheet of paper. After the sheet is formed, it is pressed and dried. This removes any remaining water, and the paper is ready for cutting to size, rolling, and packaging.
Different types of paper require different machines and processes. For example, recycled paper requires additional operations to remove ink and other contaminants.
What else is important to know about paper?
Paper is also made from other environmentally friendly materials. For example, paper made from bamboo, which grows quickly and regenerates easily after harvest. Hemp is another material that can be used to make paper. By its properties, it is similar to hardwood, but grows much faster.
Paper products can also be recycled. The paper recycling process involves separating the fibers into pulp, removing contaminants, and then using the pulp to make new products. Recycled paper requires less energy and water to process than paper made from virgin pulp. In addition, paper recycling reduces the amount of waste in landfills.
Despite the multi-purpose use of paper, its use has some disadvantages. One of them is the overuse of natural resources. The other is environmental pollution during the production process. Currently, the pulp and paper industry is finding ways to reduce environmental pollution and use environmentally friendly resources. For example, some pulp and paper mills use environmentally friendly alternatives to chemicals in their manufacturing process. Others are implementing measures to reduce water and energy consumption through the development of recycling.
According to some studies, the average US citizen uses about 700 pounds of paper products annually. Although the use of paper has decreased somewhat due to the advent of digital devices, it still remains an integral part of our lives.
In addition, cultural and historical aspects of papermaking can be found all over the world. In Japan, there is the traditional art of origami, in which paper is folded into decorative shapes. In India, paper was made from cotton rags, and, according to legend, it served as a material for writing the religious texts of this country. The Egyptians were the first to use papyrus, which in its properties was similar to paper.
