papermaking

Introduction
The papermaking process
- Historical development
  - Improvements in materials and processes
  - Introduction of machinery
- Fibre sources
  - Wood
  - Rags
  - Wastepaper and paperboard
  - Natural fibres other than wood
  - Synthetic fibres
- Processes for preparing pulp
  - Mechanical or groundwood pulp
  - Chemical wood pulp
  - Semichemical pulp
  - Bleaching and washing
- Manufacture of paper and paperboard
  - Preparation of stock
  - Formation of paper sheet by machines
  - Finishing and converting
- The world paper industry
Paper properties and uses
- Substance and quantity measurement
- Strength and durability
- Optical properties
- Paper grades
  - Bond paper
  - Book paper
  - Bristol
  - Groundwood and newsprint papers
  - Kraft wrapping
  - Paperboards
  - Sanitary papers

References & Edit History Related Topics

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Learn in depth the process of how paper products are produced and recycled

Related Questions

How are cotton and linen rags cleaned before they are made into paper pulp?
How are paper weight thickness and density measured?
How are wood logs prepared before they are turned into pulp?
How can coating or impregnation change the properties of finished paper?
How did Nicolas-Louis Robert’s 1798 machine change papermaking?
How did Ts’ai Lun make paper in ancient China?
How did the printing press increase the demand for paper in Europe?
How do fibre length and fibre bonding affect paper strength?
How do press felts help carry paper through the press section?
How do pulp screens remove unwanted materials such as bark and uncooked wood chips?
How do recycled paper and cardboard become sources of paper pulp?
How do shorter hardwood fibres improve paper smoothness and opacity?
How do sizing materials help prevent ink from spreading through paper?
How do softwood fibres and hardwood fibres affect paper differently?
How do suction boxes and table rolls help remove water from paper stock?
How does a Fourdrinier paper machine form a continuous sheet of paper?
How does a dandy roll create laid paper and watermarked paper?
How does a woven screen form a sheet from wet paper pulp?
How does beating rag pulp strengthen the finished paper sheet?
How does lignin affect the colour and durability of groundwood paper?
How does recycling wastepaper reduce the need for new pulpwood?
How does semichemical pulping combine chemical and mechanical methods?
How does the kraft process separate cellulose fibres from wood?
How does the sulfite pulping process differ from the kraft process?
How is chemical pulp made from wood chips?
How is mechanical pulp made from wood?
How is sugarcane bagasse prepared for use in papermaking?
How is the remaining water removed from paper after pressing?
How was paper made by hand before the paper machine was invented?
What jobs does the headbox perform in a Fourdrinier paper machine?
When did John Dickinson develop the cylinder paper machine?
Which properties determine the strength and durability of a sheet of paper?
Which steps are used to turn pulp into a finished sheet of paper?
Why are flax hemp jute and kenaf fibres useful for strong specialty papers?
Why are pine trees well suited for kraft pulping?
Why are rags still used to make some types of high-quality paper?
Why are steam-heated cylinders used in the dryer section of a paper machine?
Why are straw and other agricultural wastes used for papermaking in areas with few forests?
Why did bleached kraft pulp become important for papermaking in the 1930s?
Why do newspapers made with groundwood pulp tend to yellow over time?
Why does a watermark appear lighter when paper is held up to light?
Why does groundwood pulp give paper good opacity but lower strength?
Why has bamboo been considered a promising source of paper fibre in Southeast Asia?
Why is kraft pulp stronger than soda pulp?
Why is papyrus not considered paper made by the modern papermaking process?
Why is semichemical pulp often used for corrugating medium in cardboard boxes?
Why is the word paper connected to the papyrus plant?
Why is water removed by pressing before paper enters the dryer section?
Why must pith be removed from bagasse before it is made into paper?
Why must some recycled paper be de-inked before it can be used for printing-grade paper?
Why must wood have enough moisture before it is ground into pulp?
Why was the size of handmade paper limited by the papermaker’s frame and mold?

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How Stuff Works - Home and Garden - How to Make Paper for Kids

paper mill Paper mill in British Columbia, Canada.

papermaking

Written by

Kenneth W. Britt

Senior Research Associate, Empire State Paper Research Institute, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse. Editor of Handbook of Pulp and Paper Technology.

Kenneth W. Britt

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

papermaking, formation of a matted or felted sheet, usually of cellulose fibres, from water suspension on a wire screen. Paper is the basic material used for written communication and the dissemination of information. In addition, paper and paperboard provide materials for hundreds of other uses, such as wrapping, packaging, toweling, insulating, and photography. The word paper is derived from the name of the reedy plant papyrus, which grows abundantly along the Nile River in Egypt....

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