In the early to mid 1800s paper was made with fibres such as linen and flax which caused it to be quite expensive to purchase. In the late 1800s a process called mechanical pulping was invented in Germany. This revolutionary process allowed for the creation of wood pulp. The next advancement came when chemicals were introduced into the process. This new process used Sulfurous acid to treat the material, and later was followed with the introduction of calcium bisulfate that was used to extract the fibres with minimal damage to the end product.
Mills today prefer to use woodchips instead of logs. During the chipping process the trees are stripped of their bark and the heartwood and sapwood are used for chips. The bark is used for the creation of steam that is used to power the mill.
Present day mills use two main processes for manufacturing chips. They are mechanical and chemical. During the mechanical process uses a refining machine to grind the chips into a paste like substance. There are two types of mechanical processing. The first is refiner mechanical pulp; which only uses grinder plates to process the woodchips. The second is called thermomechanical pulp; during this procedure water is added to the refining process which causes the woodchips to generate steam and reduces the damage to the fibres.
The second process that is used for extracting the fibres form woodchips is the chemical process. This procedure combines woodchips and chemicals in containers referred to as digesters that use heat and chemicals to break down the molecular properties of the woodchips without seriously degrading the fibres. The Kraft process is the dominant method used in the industry today.
Many products can be created from using the cellulose that is extracted during the extraction process. Items ranging from film to football helmets to cellophanes are just some of the items that are created from the pulping process. With advancements by scientists in the industry the possibilities are endless.
Deinking is the process of recycling paper. This procedure uses chemical compounds to remove ink and other unwanted agents from the paper. With the introduction of this process many trees have been saved. The Froth flotation process of deinking is used in Europe today. Wash deinking is another method that is used.
There are groups that do not like the materials that are currently being and would like to use agricultural residues or field crop fibres instead of chips. There are pros and cons with this theory. The pros are saving the trees; the cons are that the alternative fibres will cost more money in the end due to the electricity and water that is used for production. Also the fibres have issues with the chemical recovery process. In the end wood is the best source of pulp at this time.
As one can see, wood pulp is used a multitude of items and more uses become known every day. With the institution of tree plantations the worry of running out of lumber is not even a factor. In addition there are logging outfits that are harvesting fallen logs in the forest and sunken logs in rivers. This cuts down on the number of healthy trees that are being harvested.
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