Paper Making Process

Almost all of us use paper for a variety of reasons, from writing to packaging. But how exactly is paper made? Paper making is a complex series of processes, which turns trees into paper. The way paper is made has changed a lot since it was first made and is now a highly industrialised process. Here is a brief description of the whole paper making process today.

Trees are usually grown specifically for paper supplies. Forest are well managed with new trees grown once the previous once have been cut down for paper production. The way they are harvested can be compared to how crops are harvested by farmers. Paper supplies are from parts of the wood that commercial industries do not want, so all parts of trees are being used, and being used for more than once purpose. Forest trimmings and saw mill waste are examples of the parts of trees regularly used for paper.

Once trees have been cut down they are cut into small logs and put through a machine called a debarker. Logs are fed through this barrel-like machine which strips the bark off as it goes through. Another piece of equipment then cuts the wood into very small pieces and selects the best shaped and sized chips. These chips are next pressure cooked with water and chemicals in a digester. This produces pulp. The pulp is washed, refined and cleaned and turned into a slush-like substance. This is done in a large tank called a hydrapulper. At the bottom of the hydrapulper is an agitator which breaks the bales into small pieces. Once this process has been completed the pulp has been turned into a thick substance that is discharged into storage tanks. The next piece of machinery used is a conical. This cuts the cellulose fibres, a process called fibrillation.

The final part of paper making is the paper machine process. The first part of this sees the fibres turn into paper though the wire section. This is a conveyer belt, where water is drained away and captured underneath. Once this has been done it is effectively in a paper-like state. It then travels through a series of rollers where the moisture is squeezed out. The drying cylinders is the next part of the drying process. These are steam heated cylinders. Following this water and starch are added to make printing on the paper possible, so when used ink doesn't just flow off of the page. Next is a final drying section before polish of glaze are added. The paper is then flattened and straightened out. Finally, it is put into a large reel, after which is can be cut into sheets or put onto smaller reels ready for distribution.

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