Paper has become so firmly entrenched in our life that using it, we do not think about its origin and production. Although everyone knows what paper is made of. But the process of turning a tree into thin white leaves is not known to many. So how do paper do?
The paper industry is the paper and pulp industry. The most common is its production from wood. Wood pulp is produced from forest tree species. In order to understand how paper is made of wood, we make a virtual tour of the factory.
Raw materials go there in raw form. Here the bark is peeled from a tree, and then it is crushed by special machines into a sliver. There are several ways to make paper. The simplest mechanical. In this method, the crushed chips are mixed with water and further processed. The result is not very high quality paper, which is used to produce newspapers. In order to obtain raw materials of good, high quality, a chemical method of its production is used. In this method, chips are selected in size and cooked. This process takes place using acid in specially designed machines. After cooking, the resulting mass is washed and foreign substances are removed. The resulting raw materials are subjected to further processing to produce a certain type of paper.
In order to obtain writing paper , glue is added to the raw materials. This gives it a water-repellent effect. Resins added during the manufacturing process prevent ink from spreading and make writing easy to read. The paper intended for printing does not require such additives, because the inks used for this do not have a water base.
To make the paper white and opaque, the raw materials are dyed with special dyes and pigments. After all the operations performed, the process of producing paper from paper raw materials begins. Machines move the resulting slurry from one shaft to another, on which a mesh is stretched. In this case, the formation of a paper sheet. Water that was in the feed gradually flows out through holes in the grid. The fibers intertwine and form rolls. Further, the canvas is subjected to a series of operations, which result in paper that we are used to having in our everyday life. The rollers through which the crude web passes, are pressed, dried and polished. After that, it is further pressed and dried. The output is paper rolls, which are used for their intended purpose. They are cut or sent in rolls for future use. In the process of making paper, many special machines are used. All labor is mechanized. But, nevertheless, this is a very valuable material. Therefore, knowing what paper is made of and how, you begin to perceive it more carefully. Indeed, for the production of 1 ton of paper you need 17 trees.
For the production of paper using recycled materials. Previously, a mass collection of waste paper was organized in the country. It, after cleaning from ink, is added to paper raw materials during the production process. Paper is a necessary attribute of modern life. It’s even hard to imagine that its first inventors were Chinese. For a long time they did not reveal the secret of how paper is made.
Paper is used in various areas of our lives. Napkins, notebooks, books, toys, wallpapers, money are made from it. It is perhaps not possible to list the entire list of where the paper is used. In some cases, it is simply irreplaceable and is the only suitable material. New technologies for the production of paper, reveal more and more opportunities for its application.