Knowledge, Information and Experience
History: The pulp papermaking process is said to have been developed in China during the early 2nd century CE, possibly as early as the year 105 CE by the Han court eunuch Cai Lun.
Etymology: The word “paper” is etymologically derived from Latin papyrus, which comes from the Greek πάπυρος (papuros), the word for the Cyperus papyrus plant. Papyrus is a thick, paper-like material produced from the pith of the Cyperus papyrus plant, which was used in ancient Egypt and other Mediterranean cultures for writing before the introduction of paper into the Middle East and Europe.
Paper making is done by three process:
Chemical pulping: The process of generating pulp from the wood is called pulping. It is done either chemically or mechanically,there are three main chemical pulping processes:
1.The sulfite process: It dates back to the 1840s and it was the dominant method extent before the second world war.
2. The kraft process: It was invented in the 1870s and first used in the 1890s, is now the most commonly practiced strategy, one of its advantages is the chemical reaction with lignin, that produces heat, which can be used to run a generator. Most pulping operations using the kraft process are net contributors to the electricity grid or use the electricity to run an adjacent paper mill. Another advantage is that this process recovers and reuses all inorganic chemical reagents.
3. Soda pulping : It is another specialty process used to pulp straws, bagasse and hardwoods with high silicate content.
Mechanical pulping: There are two major mechanical pulps: thermomechanical pulp (TMP) and groundwood pulp (GW).
De-inked pulp: Paper recycling processes can use either chemically or mechanically produced pulp; by mixing it with water and applying mechanical action the hydrogen bonds in the paper can be broken and fibres separated again.
Future: Some manufacturers have started using a new, significantly more environmentally friendly alternative to expanded plastic packaging. Made out of paper, and known commercially as PaperFoam, the new packaging has mechanical properties very similar to those of some expanded plastic packaging, but is biodegradable and can also be recycled with ordinary paper.
