How is Paper Pulp Made?

Tissue paper manufacturers and tissue paper converters can ask for customized raw materials or semi-finished products from suppliers. Those products can come in different qualities. Paper pulp wise, many methods and materials can be used in its production. They can generally be classified as virgin, recycled, mixed, or bamboo.

Production of Paper pulp

Wood-based paper pulp is the most common type. All sorts of trees can be the raw material while making this material. However, coniferous trees such as the fir, pine, spruce, and larch are preferred. Wood chipping is important to make paper pulp because it is the very material we need to start the process. Only heartwood and sapwood are useful for making paper pulp. The bark of the tree does not contain many useful fibers thus it is removed and used for other purposes in the paper mill when needed.

If the producer wants to use the chemical pulping method, the first step will be cooking wood chips in a pressure cooker which is also known as a “digester”. Wood fibers are separated into cellulose fibers, lignin and other substances. This washed product is screened for further cleaning. Finally, the finished product is washed, again, and bleached to reach a standard brightness.

More Production Techniques

Mechanical pulping is another method that used in paper pulp making. In this method, wood chips are being ground instead of being cooked. Wood chips are heated and put into a machine that has two rotating metal discs. The chips are broken into smaller chunks and then into individual fibers. Next, they are blended with water to make a slurry and then dried.

If the producer wants to make recycled paper pulp, then the process goes slightly different. This type is made by mixing recycled materials with water in “repulper”. In the repulper, then the pulp is separated to create individual fibers in a slurry. After that, the final product is washed and screened for cleaning.