The history of paper production is many hundreds of years old. According to Chinese chronicles, it was invented around 105 AD. However, its appearance, quality and, of course, production methods have changed significantly since then. We can also distinguish many types and uses of paper. One of the popular forms is decorative paper, which is often used, for example, for wrapping gifts. In this article, we briefly characterise its composition and discuss the production process.
The secret lies in the composition
The raw materials used for the production of paper have a significant impact on its appearance, mechanical properties and use. Cellulose, which is mainly sourced from wood or waste paper, is the key ingredient in the production process. Pure cellulose is usually used to produce strong Kraft wrapping papers. It is obtained by means of wood pulping and is characterised by a brown colour. Eco-friendly decorative papers often imitate the Kraft type, but usually they are made from dyed waste paper.
Most decorative papers are made of bleached cellulose. In the more environmentally friendly version, they are also made of recycled fibres, which come from waste paper. However, such paper is characterised by worse strength parameters, lower whiteness and the presence of inclusions.
Manufacturers have also created recipes that use other materials instead of cellulose or waste paper, such as fibre residues, which come from the processing of organic raw materials or the recycling of leather or rags. One of the most commonly used substitutes is cotton, which is used for premium decorative papers.
Popular additives
We have already told you about the main ingredient from which the paper is made, and now it is time to say a few words about additives. The substances added to the pulp are mainly optical whiteners, sealing and retention agents, dyes, fillers in the form of kaolin, but also many other additives. They affect the properties and appearance of the paper substrate, but also improve the mobility of the paper machine.
All of the ingredients required to produce paper are mixed in vats, where they are also diluted, and the resulting pulp is fed into specialised machines for further processing.
The last stage of production
Decorative paper can have its final appearance straight after taking it off the paper machine. We achieve this effect in the case of transparent, uncoated or eco-friendly papers. However, some decorative paper substrates still require additional finishing processes. These include machine smoothing, which improves the smoothness (satin papers from the DCP series), or structure embossing, which gives the right effect to textured papers.
The last stage of production involves cutting the decorative paper lengthwise and crosswise to a specific format. The paper is then packed and distributed.
Range of chemical additives
The paper production process is very important and requires the use of appropriate quality products. Chemical additives improve and facilitate this process. Proven preparations guarantee better properties of the finished products. The PCC Group is among the prominent manufacturers of chemical additives on the market. The product catalogue features a wide range of raw materials for the cellulose and paper industry – check out our range.