PKG 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Paperboard, Paper Recycling, Softwood
Document Summary
Manufacturing of paper and paperboard consists of separating the wood (or other) fibers from each other, and then re-depositing them in a matted form to make the paper/board. The quality of the fibers is the primary determinant of the properties of the paper. This quality includes things like how long the fibers are, their flexibility, and, very importantly, their ability to bond with the other fibers in the mat. How much the mat is compressed, the degree to which the fibers are oriented, additives, and other factors also impact the properties of the paper. Notice how the fibers overlap and interlock to form the sheet of paper. As mentioned already, the primary raw material for packaging paper and paperboard is wood. Other materials, such as rags, straws, grasses, etc. , can be used, but they are less common. Recycled paper is increasingly an important feedstock in paper manufacture. However, here we will just focus on wood as the feedstock.
