Chemical Technology

Subject Code: CH2001

Module III-Lecture 3
Pulp and paper industry

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 Pulp and paper industry

• The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood as raw material and
produce pulp, paper, paperboard and other cellulose-based products.
• The commercial planting of domesticated mulberry trees to make pulp for papermaking
is attested as early as the 6th century.
• The first mechanised paper machine was installed at Frogmore Paper Mill, Apsley,
Hertfordshire in 1803, followed by another in 1804.
• The pulp and paper industry has been criticized by environmental groups like
the Natural Resources Defense Council for unsustainable deforestation and clearcutting
of old-growth forest.
• The industry trend is to expand globally to countries like Russia, China and Indonesia
with low wages and low environmental oversight.
• The pulp and paper industry consumes a significant amount of water and energy and
produces wastewater with a high concentration of chemical oxygen demand (COD).

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• Indian Paper Industry accounts for about 1.6% of the world's production
of paper and paperboard.
• The estimated turnover of the industry is Rs 25,000 crore (USD 5.95
billion) and its contribution to the exchequer is around Rs. 2918 crore.
• Demand of paper has been around 8% and during the years 2002-07
newsprint registered a growth of 13%
• Newsprint and publication paper consumption account for 2 million
tonnes, of which 1.2 million tonnes of newsprint paper is manufactured in
India and the remaining 0.8 million tonnes is imported.
• Indian handmade paper industry is a vast industry comprising more than
157 handmade paper-producing divisions all over India. These 157
functional units together manufacture paper worth around Rs. 21 crores
and provide employment to 10,000 people.

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 Paper
Definition: Paper is defined as matted or felted sheet of fibers ,
usually cellulosic and generally formed on a fine wire screen from
a water suspension.

Types of paper product:

 Wrapping paper-paper bag, grease proof paper.
 Tissue paper-cigarette, carbon, toilet, towel, napkin papers.
 Book paper- coated and uncoated, lithograph offset, text book
paper
 Writing paper- bond weight, linen paper.
 Groundwood printing paper - catalogue, newsprint, tablet,
poster, wall papers.
 Paperboard- heavier, less flexible, laminated paper stock.

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WRAPPING PAPER TISSUE PAPER BOOK PAPER

WRITING PAPER GROUNDWOOD PRINTING PAPER PAPER BOARD

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RAW MATERIALS:
1. Fibrous Raw Materials
• Paper pulp- groundwood, bleached and unbleached sulfite and
sulphate, semichemical pulps.
• Reuse Pulp- paper product such as news paper and paperboard
are repulped and mixed with new pulp for paper mill feedstock.
• Miscellaneous cellulose pulp- straw, linen, cotton, rags.
• Specialty pulp- Inorganic fibers such as asbestos and glass.
2. Non-Fibrous Raw Materials
• Inorganic raw material- clay, talc, titanium dioxide, zinc sulfide,
calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, alum.
• Organic raw materials – rosin, glue, casein, waxes, glycerol,
dyestuffs.

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 Links to notes

• https://youtu.be/E4C3X26dxbM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkmPi7T8TXA
• https://www.pulpandpaper-technology.com/articles/pulp-
and-paper-manufacturing-process-in-the-paper-industry
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pWBknxLTYw
• Dryden’s Outlines Of Chemical Technology

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 PROCESS DESCRIPTION
PROCESS DESCRIPTION
(a) Beater
• Beater mechanically disintegrates the pulp fibers to make paper stronger,
uniform, dense, opaque etc.
• It consists of metal blades attached with rotating drum.
• Finely ground fillers (to increase brightness, flexibility, softness and weight) and
coloring agents are also added.
(b) Jordan
• It is a conical refiner or Jordan engine.
• Metal bars and stones are set inside.
• Here, pulp is deformed, defibered and dispersed.

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(c) Web forming
• 99.5% water fiber slurry are made to run on an endless belt at a speed of
50m/min to 500m/min.
• Pulp fibers are arranged into web.
• Water is drained out by gravity.
• Shaking motion is provided for better interlocking of fibers on mat.
• White water is collected and it is reused to conserve water and additives and to
avoid pollution.
(d) Pressing
• Free water is removed by pressing with pressure roll, water mark roll and suction
roll.
• Water content is reduced to 60-65% water.

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(e) Drying
• Additional water is removed by smoothing rolls and series of steam heated metal drying
rolls.
• Water is reduced from 60-65% to 5-6%.
(f) Finishing
• Here paper is passed through a series of calendaring rolls for producing smooth paper.
• It is wounded on a large winding roll.

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Flow sheet of production process of paper

JORDAN

Production of paper
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 PROBLEMS FACED BY PAPER INDUSTRY
The paper industry of India is faced with numerous difficulties such as :
• Shortage of fibrous raw material- The lack of forest resources required long range
planning for development of improved bamboo harvesting, utilising of bagasse,
eucalyptus and reed grass, plus more effective collection and reuse of waste paper.

• High price and shortage of chemicals- Shortage of sulphur, salt cake (Na2SO4) and
chlorine with corresponding high prices place the Indian paper industries at a great
disadvantage in attempting to export paper products.

• Procurement of Plant and equipment- Pulping equipment is relatively simple and is

built in India. Paper making machinery is quite elaborated and expensive so
indigenous manufacture has not yet been successfully attempted.

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 Recent Improvement In Paper Industry
1. Increase in wet-strength of paper products
• The sizing of paper with dialdehyde starch and the use of newer types of resin and plastic
such as polyethylene, particularly in Kraft-type paperboard, is responsible for the
increased use of paper product under varying moisture conditions.
2. Modification in paper machine to improve properties of paper
• Research is constantly being done to improve the tensile strength of paper.
• For example- The Klupack process developed by West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company
in the U.S.A is one such improvement.
• It incorporates a rubber belt before the pressing roll which can be varied in degree of
elongation. By changing to a less stretched condition at the end of the operation, the
fibres on the wet web can be compressed and intertwined to give vastly improved
strength on the final paper.

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