From greeting cards to boxes or documents to spreadsheets – paper is undeniably one of the most extensively used commercial items you can find on the market. Now, before such a material can be transformed into any of the aforementioned, it undergoes the following processes:
Since paper is composed mainly of cellulose fibre – a substance that one can acquire from softwood trees like spruce, fir, and pine – the beginning step towards creating the material is to cut timber.
Once the log has been brought to a paper mill, pulping takes places wherein the lignin (a complex polymer) and other materials are separated from the wood's cellulose. Often, to accomplish this procedure, a factory can go for either the mechanical or chemical process.
The former – mechanical pulping – works by separating the cellulose fibres from everything else by finely grinding and chopping the wood. Typically, this option is preferred for creating newsprint, packaging, and other low-strength paper applications. The latter type, chemical pulping, utilises heat and pressure to dissolve the lignin in the wood and consequently 'free' the cellulose fibres. Often, the log is cooked in a digester filled with chemicals to remove the sugars and anything else not needed for the final product.
Once the pulp is acquired, the mixture is sprayed onto a moving mesh screen in layers that makes a mat, which is then sent to several mechanical and vacuum process to remove its water content – making it compact and dry. Afterwards, the resulting material is then sent through heated rollers where the remaining moisture in the mat will be removed.
After the paper gains the proper moisture content and thickness, it may then be coated with synthetic binders to increases its strength and water resistance. On the other hand, it can also be coloured or given a light plastic coating to give it a more distinct characteristic. Finally, the paper rolls are cut to predetermined sizes and shipped to another facility for secondary processing.
The aforementioned procedures is how paper is made and so when a loved one sends you any of our lovely greeting cards, remember that such a package has gone a long way to express loving words to you. In such cases, would it not be proper to send them an equally thoughtful greeting card as well?