Paper Basics
Below are a few interesting facts about paper. For more great paper basics, visit Mohawk Paper.
What is the history of paper?
Paper is manufactured on a Fourdrinier Machine, in a process invented in 1798 by Nicholas-Louis Robert, while working for the French paper mill owned by the Didot family. His machine used a belt of wire screen to produce a continuous web of paper. He was backed in England by the Fourdrinier brothers, who built and sold the first paper machines.
By 1810, the Fourdrinier brothers found themselves in bankruptcy and Bryan Donkin, their engineer, continued to improve the basic design. Soon he was successfully manufacturing a machine that mechanized the process of making paper. A water and pulp mixture flowed across a moving, vibrating web of woven wire cloth, forming a wet mat of interlocking fibers. From the wire, the newly formed paper transferred to a moving web of woolen cloth (the felt), before being dried.
Today a mixture of water and pulp still flows on the Fourdrinier wire, but the size and scale of today's papermaking operations bear very little resemblance to the early machines. The process is highly automated, with high-speed metering devices, incredibly refined chemistry, and precision built into every aspect of the operation.
But state-of-the-art equipment and ingredients are only as good as the people who use them. At Mohawk, quality is engineered into every phase of the papermaking process. Highly trained people, some of whom have been with Mohawk for over 50 years, add the dimension of craftsmanship and care that distinguish Mohawk papers.
What are the basic ingredients in papermaking?
Broke
Paper manufactured by the mill that has been discarded at some point during the process. It is returned to a repulping unit for reprocessing.
Optical Brightening Agents
Products based on stilbene chemistry are used to brighten paper. They work by absorbing invisible ultraviolet light and converting the energy to a visible bluish-white light. This process makes the paper appear brighter.
Calcium Carbonate
A mineral (ground marble) alkaline filler which may act as a buffer. It also increases the brightness of a grade.
Cotton
Cotton fibers, composed entirely of pure cellulose, may be used in papermaking. Paper formerly made from rags is today made from cotton fibers.
Dyes & Colorings
Color is added and monitored continually during the papermaking process. Sophisticated computers ensure consistency through the run and in subsequent runs.
Fillers
Nonfibrous, insoluble mineral materials added to the fiber furnish to impart specific properties such as opacity, improved ink receptivity, whiteness, or surface smoothness. Commonly used fillers include clay, calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide.
Postconsumer Fiber (Recycled Paper)
Today, postconsumer fiber is a key ingredient in fine papers. Recycled fiber is made from waste paper that has been collected, sorted, and cleaned. Mohawk purchases 100% postconsumer fiber which has been processed into thick sheets and packed into bales, just like virgin fiber pulp. Advanced technologies have allowed Mohawk to make 100% recycled papers that meet rigorous quality standards and higher brightness targets.
Pulp
Cellulose fibers from wood or other plant sources may be extracted chemically or mechanically. Softwood pulps are derived from conifers (evergreens). Hardwood fibers (from deciduous trees) are also a primary source of papermaking pulp. Mohawk uses only the finest of chemical pulps.
Sizing
Internal sizing improves water resistance so that the paper fibers stay together on handling. Surface sizing applied to the partially dry web increases surface strength and resistance to ink spread or feathering.