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GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS - PAPERMAKING

Abrasive Papers
Papers covered on one or both sides with abrasive powder, e.g. emery, sandpaper etc.

Absorbent Paper
Papers having the specific characteristic of absorbing liquids such as water and ink. These papers
are soft, loosely felted, unsized and bulky.

Acetate Pulp
A highly purified (high alpha cellulose) pulp made especially to be dissolved in acetic acid,
acetic anhydride and sulfuric acid to make acetate rayon and acetate fiber.

Acid Free Paper


A type of paper which does not contain any acidic substance that may affect acid sensitive
material. Acid free paper is anti rust and is used for metal wrapping.

Acid Proof Paper


A paper that is not affected by acid physically or chemically. This paper is used with substance
containing acid.

Acid Sizing
Internal sizing carried out in acidic pH range (0-7). Rosin and alum sizing is acid sizing.

Activated Carbon
A highly absorbent powdered or granular carbon used for purification by adsorption.

Activated Sludge
The biomass produced by rapid oxygenation of effluent.

Additives
Clay, fillers, dyes, sizing and other chemicals added to pulp to give the paper greater
smoothness, color, fibered appearance or other desirable attributes.

Adsorbable Organic Halogen (AOX)


A measure of the amount of chlorine that is chemically bound to the soluble organic matter in the
effluent.

Aerated Lagoon
A biological waste water treatment method in which air (oxygen) fed into an aeration basin
reduces the effluent load.

Against the Grain


Cutting, folding or feeding paper at right angles to the grain or machine direction of the paper.
Aging
Irreversible alteration, generally deterioration, of the properties of paper in course of time. Aging
also causes reduction in brightness and yellowing effect.

Agitator
An equipment used to keep content of a tank or chest in motion and well mixed.

Air Brush Coater


A coater which uses the pressurized air to atomize the coating mixture and spray it on the paper.

Air Dry (AD)


Refers to the weight of dry pulp/paper in equilibrium with the atmosphere. Though the amount of
moisture in dry pulp/paper will depend on the atmospheric condition of humidity and
temperature but as a convention 10% moisture is assumed in air dry pulp/paper.

Air Drying
Using hot air to dry pulp or paper sheets.

Air Filter Paper


A type of paper used for filtration of air to remove suspended particles. (car air filter, vacuum
bag etc.)

Air Knife Coater


A device that applies an excess coating to the paper and then removes the surplus by impinging a
flat jet of air upon the fluid coating, leaving a smooth, metered film on the paper.

Air Mail Paper


It is lightweight, high opacity, good quality writing/printing type paper used for letters, flyers
and other printed matter to be transported by airlines.

Air Pollution
The contamination of air around the plant due to the emission of gases, vapors and particulate
material in the atmosphere.

Albumin Paper
A coated paper used in photography; the coating is made of albumen (egg whites) and
ammonium chloride.

Algae
Micro organic plant life that forms in paper mill water supplies.

Alkali Resistance
Freedom of paper from a tendency to become stained or discolored or to undergo a color change
when brought in contact with alkaline products such as soap and adhesives.
Alkaline Papermaking
Paper manufactured under alkaline conditions, using additives, basic fillers like calcium
carbonate and neutral size. The anti-aging properties in alkaline paper make it a logical choice
for documents where permanence is essential.

Alkaline Pulping
Pulping by alkaline solutions of sodium hydroxide, with or without sodium sulfide. Without
sodium sulfide, soda process with sodium sulfide, Kraft or sulfate processes.

Alpha Pulp
A specially processed, high alpha cellulose content, chemical pulp. It is also called dissolving
pulp.

Alum
The paper maker alum is hydrated Aluminum Sulfate {Al2(SO4)3}. It is used to adjust the pH of
the mill water or as a sizing chemical in combination with rosin size.

Anthra Quinone (AQ)


A quinoid compound added to white liquor (alkaline cooking liquor) to improve pulp yield and
to increase the rate of delignification.

Antique Finish
A term describing the surface, usually on book and cover papers, that has a natural rough finish.

Approach Flow System


The stock flow system from fan pump to headbox slice.

Archival Paper
A paper that is made to last for long time and used for long lasting records.

Ash Content
The residue left after complete combustion of paper at high temperature. It is generally expressed
as percent of original test sample and represents filler content in the paper.

Azure
The light blue color used in the nomenclature of "laid" and "wove" papers.

Back Liner
The back side layer in a multi-ply paperboard. Normally back liner is made out of inferior grade
pulp compared to top liner.
Back Water
See White Water.

Bag Paper
Any paper made to be used in the manufacturing of bags.

Bagasse
Sugarcane residue after extracting the juice.

Bale
A large rectangular shaped compressed package of waste paper, rag, pulp etc. Bale dimensions
and weight varies widely depending on the baling material and handling capabilities.

Bamboo
A plant of grass family grown in Asian countries and used for papermaking fibers.

Barker
An equipment used to remove bark from wood.

Base Paper
Refers to paper that will be subsequently be treated, coated or laminated in other ways.

Basis Weight
In English system of units, basis weight is the weight in pounds of a ream (500 sheets) of paper
cut to a basic size. (Basic size differs from category to category of the paper. Basic size for Bond
and Ledger is 20"x26", book, offset and text paper have basic size of 25"x38"). In metric system
of units, basis weight is the weight in grams of a single sheet of area one square meter. Basis
weight is also called as substance and grammage in metric system of units.

Beater
An equipment used for beating, refining and mixing pulps.

Beating or Refining
The mechanical treatment of the fibers in water to increase surface area, flexibility and promote
bonding when dried.

Biodegradable
Capable of destruction by biological action.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)


When effluent containing biodegradable organic matter is released into a receiving water, the
biodegradation of the organic matter consumes dissolved oxygen from the water. The BOD of an
effluent is an estimate of the amount of oxygen that will be consumed in 5 days following its
release into a receiving water; assuming a temperature of 20°C.
Biological Waste Water Treatment
A method of cleaning up waste water using living micro-organisms such as bacteria

Black Liquor
The liquor that exits the digester with the cooked chips at the end of the Kraft cook is called
"black" liquor.
Biomass Boiler or Hogged Fuel Boiler
Biomass boilers burn bark, saw mill dust, primary clarifier sediment and other solid waste, and
other wood-related scrap not usable in product production. Also called "hogged fuel" boilers,
biomass boilers make steam and heat for mill use.

Blade Coater
A device that first applies a surplus coating to paper and then remove extra color after evenly
leveling by means of a flexible steel blade.

Bleaching
A chemical process used to whiten and purify the pulp. Bleaching also adds to the sheet’s
strength and durability.

Blotting Paper
An unsized paper used generally to absorb excess ink from freshly written manuscripts, letters
and signatures.

Blow
It is the discharging of the pressure and contents of the digester in to Blow Tank.

Blow Tank
The tank in which pulp is blown from digester.

Board
Thick and stiff paper, often consisting of several plies, widely used for packaging or box making
purposes. Its grammage normally is higher than 150 g/m2 or thickness is more than 9 point
(thousandth of an inch).

Bond Paper
The name "bond" was originally given to a paper, which was used for printing bonds and stock
certificates. It is now used in referring to paper used for letterheads and many printing purposes.
Important characteristics are finish, strength, freedom from fuzz, and rigidity.

Bone Dry
Moisture free or zero moisture.

Book Paper
A general term used to define a class or group of papers having in common physical
characteristics that, in general, are most suitable for the graphic arts, exclusive of newsprint.
Boxboard
A paperboard used in the manufacture of light non-corrugated container.

Breaking Length
The length beyond which a strip of paper of uniform width would break under its own weight if
suspended from one end. Usually expressed in meters.

Brightness
The reflectance or brilliance of the paper when measured under a specially calibrated blue light.
Not necessarily related to color or whiteness. Brightness is expressed in %.

Bristol Board
A fine quality cardboard made by pasting several sheets together, the middle sheets usually of
inferior grade.

Broke
Paper that is unusable because of damage or non-conformity to the specifications. It is put back
in to the pulping system.

Brown Stock
The unbleached chemical pulp.

Bulk
Reverse of density, expressed as cubic centimeter per gram.

Brush Coating
A Coating method in which the freshly applied coating color is regulated and smoothed by
means of brushes, some stationary and some oscillating, before drying.

Bursting Strength
The resistance of paper to rapture as measured by the hydrostatic pressure required to burst it
when a uniformly distributed and increasing pressure is applied to one of its side.

Calender
A stack of highly polished metal cylinders at the end of a paper machines that smoothes and
shines the paper surface as sheets pass through.

Caliper
The thickness of paper usually expressed in thousandths of an inch in English system of units
and in millimeter in Metric system of units.
Carbon paper
A low basis weight paper (8 to 15 g/m2) with very low air permeability, free of pin holes and
with a waxy coating, that is used to produce carbon copies on typewriters or other office
equipment.

Carbonless Paper
A paper that uses a chemical reaction between two different contacting coatings to transfer image
when pressure is applied.

Cast Coater
A device that applies a wet coating color to a paper web before it contacts a heated drum having
a highly polished surface, which cast the coating in to an image of the smooth, mirror-like drum
surface.

Causticizing
It is the process in which Green Liquor is converted in to White Liquor. Technically speaking it
is the process of converting sodium carbonate in to sodium hydroxide.

Cellulose
It is a high molecular weight, stereoregular, and linear polymer of repeating beta-D-
glucopyranose units. Simply speaking it is the chief structural element and major constituents of
the cell wall of trees and plants.

Cellulose Fiber
An elongated, tapering, thick walled cellular unit, which is the main structural component of
woody plants. Fibers in the plants are cemented together by lignin. In British English Fiber is
spelled as Fiber.

Check or Cheque Paper


A strong, durable paper made for the printing of bank checks or cheques.

Chemical Pulp
Pulp obtained from the chemical cooking or digestion of wood or other plant material.

Chemical Recovery
It is the process in which cooking chemicals are recovered.

Chipper
The machine that converts wood logs in to chips.

Clay
A natural substance used as both a filler and coating ingredient to improve a paper’s smoothness,
brightness, opacity and/ or affinity for ink.
Closed System
Papermaking system wherein white water is mainly recirculated and not discharged as effluent.

Coarse Paper (also Industrial Paper)


Various grades of papers used for industrial application (abrasive, filter etc.) rather than cultural
purposes (writing, printing etc.)

Coat Weight
The amount of coating applied to base paper, expressed as pounds of air-dried coating on the
surface of a 25X38 in ream or grams per meter square.

Cockle Finish
Produced by air drying paper with controlled tension. This uneven surface is available in bond
papers.

Cogeneration
It is the process to generate electricity from high pressure steam and using low and/or medium
pressure steam in the mill process.

Coniferous Trees
Cone bearing and evergreen trees. Also known as soft wood trees. e.g. pine, spruce etc.
Consistency
The percentage of bone dry solids by weight in pulp or stock.

Continuous Pulping
Production of pulp in continuous digester as compared to a batch digester.

Cooking
Reacting fibrous raw material with chemical under pressure and temperature to soften and or
remove lignin to separate fibers.

Core
Fibrous tube used to wound paper for shipment.

Corrugated Board
Usually a nine-point board after if has passed through a corrugating machine. When this
corrugated board is pasted to another flat sheet of board, it becomes single-faced corrugated
board; if pasted on both sides, it becomes double-faced corrugated board or corrugated
(shipping) containerboard.

Cotton Fiber
Cotton is a natural fiber and is one of the strongest and most durable fibers known to man.
Papers manufactured of cotton fiber will last longer and hold up better under repeated handling
and variant environmental conditions than paper made from wood pulp. Generally, given
reasonable care, one can expect one year of usable life for every 1% of cotton contained in the
sheet. Typically cotton fiber papers are made of either all cotton fiber (100% cotton) or a blend
of cotton and wood pulp

Cotton Paper
Paper made with a minimum of 25% cotton fiber. Cotton paper is also called rag paper.

Cross-machine Direction
A direction perpendicular to the direction of web travels through the paper machine.
Curl
Tendency of paper by itself to bend or partly wrap around the axis of one of its directions.

Cut Sheet
Paper cut in sheets (letter, legal, A, B or any other standard size) to be used in printer,
photocopier, fax machines etc.

Dandy Roll
A hollow wire covered roll that rides on the paper machine wire and compacts the newly formed
wet web to improve the formation and if required to impart watermark or laid finish the paper.

Deciduous Trees
Broad leafed or hardwood trees which lose their leaves in fall such as birch, maple etc.

Decker
A drum type filter used for pulp thickening.

Deckle
The width of the wet sheet as it comes off the wire of a paper machine.

Deckle Edge
The untrimmed, feathery edges of paper formed where the pulp flows against the deckle.

Deinking
The process of removing inks, coatings, sizing, adhesives and/ or impurities from waste paper
before recycling the fibers into a new sheet.

Delignification
The removal of lignin, the material that binds wood fibers together, during the chemical pulping
process.

Digester
The reaction vessel in which wood chips or other plant materials are cooked with chemical to
separate fiber by dissolving lignin.
Dimensional Stability
The ability of paper or paperboard to maintain size. It is the resistance of paper to dimensional
change with change in moisture content or relative humidity. Dimensional stability is essential
for keeping forms in registration during printing and keeping sheets from jamming or wrinkling
on press or in laser printers.

Direct Cooking
Batch cooking in which digester contents are heated by blowing steam directly into the digester.

Dissolving Pulp
A high purity special grade pulp made for processing in to cellulose derivatives including rayon
and acetate.

Doctor Blade
Thin metal plate or scraper in contact with a roll along its entire length to keep it clean. Blades
are also used for creping.

Double Coating
Coating of paper or paperboard twice on one or both sides.

Draw
Difference in speed between two adjacent section of the paper machine.

Dregs
The solids which settle down in the clarifiers in the causticizing process.

Dry End
That part of the paper machine where the paper is dried, surface sized, calendered and reeled.

Durability
The ability of paper to maintain its properties with continued usage and handling.

Dust
Loose flecks of fiber, filler and/or coating on the paper that sometimes sticks to the printing
blanket and prevents ink from reaching the paper surface.

Electrical Grade Paper


Strong, pin-hole free paper, sometimes impregnated with synthetic resins and made from
unbleached Kraft pulp. Electrical insulating paper must neither contain fillers nor conductive
contaminants (metals, coal, etc.) nor salts or acids. Lava stone bars are used on rotor and stator to
avoid any metal contamination. Cable papers, that are wound around line wires in a spiral-like
fashion, are electrical insulating papers with a particularly high strength in machine direction.
Electrical grade papers include cable papers, electrolytic papers and capacitor paper.

Electronic Printing
Photocopiers, ink jet, laser printers and other similar printing methods that create images using
electrostatic charges rather than a printing plate.

Electro photography
A printing process that uses principles of electricity and electrically charged particles to create
images - e.g., photocopiers and laser printers.

Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF)


ECF papers are made exclusively with pulp that uses chlorine dioxide rather than elemental
chlorine gas as a bleaching agent. This virtually eliminates the discharge of detectable dioxins in
the effluent of pulp manufacturing facilities.

Envelop Paper
The paper made specifically for die cutting and folding of envelopes on high-speed envelop
machine.

Extensible Kraft
Very strong virgin Kraft papers which stretches more and tears less easily than regular Kraft
paper.

External Fibrillation
A refining action that results in partial detachment of fibrils from outer layer of a fiber.

Felt
A woven cloth used to carry the web of paper between press and dryer rolls on the paper
machine.

Felt Side
The side of the paper which does not touch the wire on the paper machine. The "top side" or felt
side is preferred for printing because it retains more fillers.

Fiber
A term used to define pulp after the basic preparation in the paper making process.

Fiber Axis Ratio


Ratio of fiber width to fiber thickness.

Fiber Coarseness
Weight per unit length of fiber.
Fibrils
Thread like element in the wall of the fiber.

Filler
Any inorganic substance added to the pulp during manufacturing of paper.

Filtrate
The effluent from the washing or filtering process.

Fines
Small particles fiber defined arbitrarily by classification.

Fine Papers
Uncoated writing and printing grade paper including offset, bond, duplicating and photocopying.

Finish
The surface characteristic of a sheet created by either on-machine or off-machine papermaking
processes. Popular text and cover finishes include smooth, vellum, felt, laid, and linen.

Finishing
The trimming, winding, rewinding and packing of paper rolls or trimming, cutting, counting and
packing of paper sheets from parent roll.

Flashing
Spontaneous boiling and cooling of a liquid caused by the reduction of pressure below the vapor
pressure of the liquid. Flashing occurs in blow tank during blowing.

Flexography
A form of rotary letterpress using flexible rubber or photopolymer
plates

Flotation Deinking
Using flotation method for removing ink from paper during the deinking process.

Fluorescent Dye
A coloring agent added to pulp to increase the brightness of the paper. It may give a slight blue
or green cast to the sheet.

Fluorescent Inks
Printing inks that emit and reflect light. Generally, they are brighter and more opaque than
traditional inks, but they are not color fast, so they will fade in bright light over time. Their
metallic content will also affect dot gain and trapping.
Flute
One of the wave shapes pressed into corrugated medium. These are categorized by the size of the
wave.

Formation
The dispersion of fibers in a sheet of paper. The more uniform and tightly bound the fibers, the
better the sheet will print and look.

Fourdrinier
Named after its inventor, the Fourdrinier papermaking machine is structured on a continuously
moving wire belt on to which a watery slurry of pulp is spread. As the wire moves, the water is
drained off and pressed out, and the paper is then dried.

Freeness
A term used to define how quickly water is drained from the pulp. The opposite of freeness is
slowness. Freeness or slowness is the function of beating or refining. Freeness and slowness
reported in ml CSF and degree SR respectively are also the measurement of degree of refining or
beating.

Freesheet
Paper that is free of mechanical wood pulp, which is true of virtually all fine printing papers.

Furnish
A blend of fibers, pigments, dyes, fillers and other materials that are fed to the wet end of the
paper machine.

Fuzz
Fibrous projections on the surface of a sheet of paper, caused by excessive suction, insufficient
beating or lack of surface sizing. Lint appears in much the same manner but is not attached to the
surface.

Glassine Paper
A translucent paper made from highly beaten chemical pulp and subsequently supercalendered.

Grade
Papers are differentiated from each other by their grade. Different grades are distinguished from
each other on the basis of their content, appearance, manufacturing history, and/or their end use.

Grain
The direction in which most fibers lie in a sheet of paper. As the pulp slurry moves forward on
the papermaking machine’s formation wires, the fibers tend to align themselves in the direction
of movement. Binding books parallel to the grain allows for a smoother fold then working across
the grain. Grain direction of sheet fed papers is usually indicated by underlining the number, e.g.,
23" X -35". On a web press, the grain direction should run along the length of the paper web.

Grain Long
Grain running lengthwise along a sheet of paper.

Grain Short
Grain running widthwise along a sheet of paper.

Greaseproof Paper
A protective wrapping paper made from chemical wood pulps, which are highly hydrated in
order that the resulting paper may be resistant to oil and grease.
Greenfield Mill
Mill or production facility built on undeveloped site.

Green Liquor
The liquor that results when the inorganic smelt from the recovery furnace is dissolved in water
is called "green" liquor.

Groundwood Papers
A general term applied to a variety of papers made with substantial proportions of mechanical
wood pulp together with bleached or unbleached chemical wood pulps (generally sulfite), or a
combination of these, and used mainly for printing and converting purposes.

Half Tone
Picture with gradations of tone, formed by dots of varying sizes in one color.

Hard Cook
Undercooked pulp with respect to target conditions.

Hard Sized Paper


Paper treated with high degree of internal sizing.

Hardwood
Wood from trees of angiosperms class, usually with broad leaves. Trees grown in tropical
climates are generally hardwood. Hardwood grows faster than softwood but have shorter fibers
compared to softwood.

Head Box
The part of the paper machine whose primary function is to deliver a uniform dispersion of fibers
in water at the proper speed through the slice opening to the paper machine wire.
Hemicellulose
A constituent of woods that is, like cellulose, a polysaccharide, but less complex and easily
hydrolysable.

Hydrophilic
Having strong affinity for water.

Hydrophobic
Lacking affinity for water.

Hygroscopic
Having the property to absorb water vapor from the surrounding atmosphere. Most of the papers
(except glassine, greaseproof or wet strength etc.) are hygroscopic in nature.

Imbibitions
The absorption of liquid by a fiber without a corresponding increase in volume.

Industrial Papers
A very general term, which is used to indicate papers manufactured for industrial uses as
opposed to cultural purposes. Thus, building papers, insulating papers, wrapping papers,
packaging papers, etc. would be considered industrial papers.

Ink
Printing inks are made up of pigment, pigment carrier and additives formulated to reduce
smudging, picking and other printing problems associated with ink. The choice of ink depends
on the type of paper and printing process.

Ink Absorption
A paper’s capacity to accept or absorb ink.

Ink Holdout
The way the ink pigment sits on the surface of the paper. Strong ink holdout results in a sharp,
bright image.

Internal Fibrillation
Loosening of internal bond within a fiber.

Internal Sizing
Occurs when sizing materials are added to the water suspension of pulp fibers in the
papermaking process. Also known as Beater, or Engine sizing.
K

Kappa Number
A term used to define the degree of delignification.

Kenaf
An annual agricultural plant, native of India, which has along fiber in the bark that, is suitable for
papermaking.

Knotter
Vibratory screens used for separating knots, uncooked chips and shives from the pulp at the blow
tank.

Kraft Paper
A paper of high strength made from sulfate pulp. Kraft papers vary from unbleached Kraft used
for wrapping purposes to fully bleached Kraft used for strong Bond and Ledger papers.

Laid
A finished produced with a dandy roll having closely spaced wires.

Laminated Paper
A paper built up to a desired thickness or a given desired surface by joining together two or more
webs or sheets. The papers thus joined may be alike or different; a totally different material, such
as foil, may be laminated with paper.

Ledger Paper
A strong paper usually made for accounting and records. It is similar to Bond paper in its erasure
and pen writing characteristics.

Lignin
A complex constituent of the wood that cement the cellulose fibers together.

Like-Sided
Paper that has the same appearance and characteristics on both sides.

Lint
Loosely bonded fibers at the paper surface that attached to the plate or blanket of the printing
machine.

Litho
A generic term for any printing process in which the image area and the non-image area exist on
the same plate and are separated by a chemical repulsion. Usually oil based offset printing.
Loading
Addition of fillers.

M Weight
The weight of one thousand sheets of paper, any size; or double the ream weight.

Machine Direction
The direction of the web through the paper machine.

Manifold Paper
A light weight bond paper used for making carbon or manifold copies or for airmail
correspondence.

Manila
A semi-bleached chemical sulfate paper. Not as strong as Kraft, but have better printing
qualities.

Market Pulp
Pulp which is made to be used elsewhere for the production of paper. Usually dried to reduce
freight costs but may be "wet lap" ( 50% water).

Matte Finish
A dull, clay-coated paper without gloss or luster.

Mechanical Pulp
Pulp produced by mechanically grinding logs or wood chips. It is used mainly for newsprint and
as an ingredient of base stock for lower grade printing papers.

MG Machine
A paper machine incorporating a Yankee or a MG drying cylinder in the drying section to
produce MG paper.

Multiply Paper Making Process


A paper/board making process in which different layers of fibers are deposited one over the other
to form the sheet. The multiply process is used to make the optimum use of various type of fibers
available. It is also used to make heavy basis weight papers.

Newsprint
A paper manufactured mostly from mechanical pulps specifically for the printing of newspaper.
Non Wood Fibers
Papermaking fibers derived from plants other than trees such as cotton, hemp, bagasse, jute,
bamboo or straws.

Nonwoven
Fabric-like material made from long fibers, bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat or
solvent treatment.

Off-Machine Coating
Application of coating to the paper off the paper machine, or as a separate operation to the
papermaking.

Offset Paper
Also known as book paper. General description of any paper primarily suited for offset printing.
Can be coated or uncoated. Characterized by strength, dimensional stability, lack of curl and
freedom from foreign surface material. Finish can be vellum or smooth.

Offset Printing
Also know as web offset or lithography. Offers highest degree of precision, clarity, and quality

On-Machine Coating
Application of coating to the paper at the paper machine, or in line as it is being made.

Opacity
That properties of paper which minimizes the "show-through" of printing from the backside or
the next sheet.

Oxygen Delignification
A process in which oxygen gas and sodium hydroxide are used to remove lignin from brown
stock.

Ozone (O3)
A highly reactive gas with molecules made up of three oxygen atoms.

Ozone Bleaching
A process that uses ozone to whiten cellulose fibers following the Kraft pulping and oxygen
delignification processing.
P

Paper
A homogeneous sheet formed by irregularly interviewing cellulose fibers.

Paperboard
A heavy weight, thick, rigid and single or multilayer sheet. What differentiates paperboard from
paper is the weight of the sheet. If paperboard is very heavy it is called Board. Paper heavier than
150 gram per meter square are normally called Paperboard and paperboard heavier than 500
gram per meter square are called board.

Papermaking
Invented in China by T’sai Lun some 2,000 years ago, papermaking still follows the same basic
procedures. Today wood chips are cooked with chemicals to release cellulose fibers and dissolve
lignin, then washed to remove impurities. Most printing papers are then bleached to lighten the
color of the pulp. Pulp is mechanically and chemically treated to impart certain desired
characteristics such as strength, smoothness and sizing. Large quantity of water is added to
uniformly distribution of fibers and additives. The resulting slurry, which is 99 to 99.5% water,
is cascaded onto the continuously moving forming fabric of the Fourdrinier paper machine. Side-
to-side shaking distributes the slurry, forming a tangled web of fiber as the water drains off. A
wire mesh roll called a dandy roll, moves over the surface to modulate the turbulence and
smooth the topside of the paper. A felt blanket absorbs more water from the paper and sends the
sheet on through a channel of hot metal drums that dry and press the paper at the same time to
give it a more even-sided finish. At this point the paper is fully dry and ready for off-machine
processes such as coating, embossed finishes and supercalendering.

Papyrus
The Egyptians used this aquatic plant to create a writing sheet by peeling apart the plant’s tissue-
thin layers and stacking them in overlapping, crosshatched pieces to form a sheet. Despite giving
us the word "paper," papyrus is not a true paper.

Parchment
To simulate the look of ancient parchment, which was made from animal skin, text and cover
versions are made with a variegated surface, translucent colors and rigid feel. Parchment is often
used for diplomas, certificates and contracts.

Permanganate Number (K Number)


Chemical test performed on pulp to determine the degree of delignification.

Permeability
Degree to which a fluid (gas or liquid) permeates or penetrate a porous substance such as paper
or fabric.

pH (Hydrogen Ion Concentration)


A measure of the acidity (or alkalinity) of a solution. Range from 0-14 with 7 being neutral, less
than 7 being acid; higher than 7 being alkaline.
Picking
The problem of ink picking off paper fibers during printing. This may be an indication of a paper
with low bonding strength or the use of an ink with too much tack for the paper it is printed on.

Pigment
An ingredient added to pulp to increase the brightness and opacity of white paper or dye the pulp
to create a colored sheet.

Pin Holes
Imperfections in paper which appear as minute holes upon looking through the sheet. They
originate from foreign particles, which are pressed through the sheet.

Pitch
Resinous material present in wood (mainly softwood) that carry over into the pulping and
papermaking system to form insoluble deposits.
Polymer
Organic chemical compounds consisting of repeating structural units. Cellulose is a polymer.

Ply
The separate webs, which make up the sheet formed on a multi-cylinder machine. Each cylinder
adds one web or ply, which is pressed to the other, the plies adhering firmly upon drying.

Point
A unit of paper or paperboard thickness measuring one-thousandth of an inch.

Porosity
The property of paper that allows the permeation of air, an important factor in ink penetration.
Post-Consumer Waste Paper
Waste paper materials recovered after being used by consumers.

Pre-Consumer Waste Paper


Paper recovered after the papermaking process, but before used by a consumer.

Printability
The overall performance of the paper on press.

Printing
The transfer of ink onto paper or other materials to reproduce words and images.

Pulp
A suspension of cellulose fibers in water.
R

Rag
The term “rag” is often used interchangeably with “cotton fiber content” and harkens to a period
of time when paper was actually made using cotton rags which were cleaned and then broken
down into fibers which were then used to manufacture paper. In a sense it could be stated that the
fine paper business has been engaged in recycling materials for production since its very
beginning. Today paper is no longer made from rags and the term “rag” is falling in disfavor by
the industry in lieu of the phrase “cotton fiber content”.

Ream
500 Sheets of paper.

Refiner
An equipment used to give mechanical treatment to the fibers.

Refining
Mechanical treatment of fibers to enhance bonding.
Roe Number
Measure of the amount of chlorine required for bleaching pulp.

Salt Cake
Or sodium sulphate added to the black liquor to compensate for the soda loss.

Save-All
Equipment used to reclaim fibers from white water.

Score
To impress or indent a mark with a string or rule in the paper to make folding easier.

Secondary Fibers
Fibers recovered from waste paper and utilized in making paper or paperboard.

Semichemical Pulp
Pulp produced by chemical treatment followed by mechanical treatment.

Show-Through
The undesirable condition in which the printing on the reverse side of a sheet can be seen
through the sheet under normal lighting conditions. The more opaque a sheet, the less the show-
through.
Shives
Small bundles of fibers that have not been separated completely during pulping.

Sizing
The treatment of paper which gives it resistance to the penetration of liquids (particularly water)
or vapors. Sizing improves ink holdout.

Slimes
Fungus or other bacteriological growth. If not controlled in papermaking system, may cause
process and quality problems.

Slitter
Rotary knife used to slit or trim a paper web into specified width.

Slowness
Measure of pulp drainage. Has an inverse relationship to freeness.

Smelt
Inorganic chemicals obtained in molten form from the recovery furnace.

Smoothness
The surface uniformity of paper. Sheets that are flat and even provide better ink dot formation
and sharper images.

Soft Cook
Over-cooked pulp.

Specific Energy (Refining)


Energy applied per unit weight on oven dry basis (KWH/MT) during refining.

Specific Surface (Fiber)


Fiber surface area per unit weight (OD basis)

Supercalender
A stack of alternating steel and fiber-covered rolls at the end of the paper machine which is used
to increase a sheet’s gloss and smoothness.

Surface-Sized
Paper that has been treated with starch or other sizing material at the size press of the paper
machine. This term is used interchangeably with the term "tub-sized", although tub-size more
properly refers to surface sizing applied as a separate operation where the paper is immersed in a
tub of sizing (starch or glue), after which it passes between squeeze rolls and is air dried.

Swelling
An increase in volume of fiber due to the absorption of liquid.
T

Tear Strength
A measure of how likely a paper will continue to tear once started. Tear strength will differ with
and against the grain.

Tensile Strength
A measure of how likely a paper is to break when pulled at opposite ends. This is very important
when running through high-speed web presses.

Text Paper
Text papers are defined as fine, high quality uncoated papers. Typically, they are made in various
colors, with numerous textures and a variety of surface finishes. Text papers are made from high-
grade bleached wood pulp, cotton fibers, or tree-free pulp such as bamboo. Recycled sheets
include high quality recycled waste paper and post-consumer waste pulp, in addition to bleached
wood pulp, tree-free pulp or cotton fibers.

Thinning
A practice in which certain trees are removed from a dense stand to allow the remaining trees
adequate sunlight, nutrients and moisture to grow at an even rate.

Tissue
A low weights and thin sheet. Normally a paper sheet weighing less than 40 gram per meter
square is called tissue.

Totally Chlorine Free (TCF)


Totally chlorine free applies to virgin fiber papers that are unbleached or processed with a
sequence that includes no chlorine or chlorine derivatives. (Also see ECF)

Two-Sidedness
The property denoting a difference in appearance and printability between its top (felt) and wire
sides.

Union Kraft
A packaging material comprising two layers of Kraft paper bonded together by means of a
laminant that is resistant to the transmission of water in liquid or vapor form. E.g. bitumen or
plastic.

UV Coating
A very glossy, slick coating applied to the printed paper surface and dried on press with
ultraviolet (UV) light. UV coating can cause slight variations in match colors, so consult an ink
manufacturer or printer for best results.
UV Ink
An ink specially formulated to dry quickly with ultraviolet light while still on press. Fast UV
drying eliminates the need to wait for the first side to dry before printing the second side.

Vehicle
The liquid part of the ink, giving it the flow properties that enable it to be applied to a surface.

Virgin Fiber
Fiber that has never been used before in the manufacture of paper or other products.

Virgin Kraft
First run or non-recycled Kraft paper.

Wall Paper
A paper used for wall covering. Also known as hanging paper.

Washing
A process of separating spent cooking or bleaching chemicals from pulp fibers.

Water-Color Paper
A medium weight, hard sized, coarse surface paper, suitable for painting with water based colors.

Water Finished Paper


A high glazed paper produced by moistening the sheet with water or steam during calendering.

Watermark
The image impressed into the formation of paper by the dandy roll on the wet end of the paper
machine; can be seen by holding the watermarked sheet up to the light. Can be either a wire
mark or a shaded image.

Web
Term used for the full width of the paper sheet in the process of being formed, pressed, dried,
finished and/or converted.

Wet Strength Paper


A chemically treated paper strong enough to withstand tear, rupture or falling apart when
saturated with water.
White Liquor
White liquor is the aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide & sodium sulfide used as the cooking
liquor in Kraft pulping.

White Water
The filtrate from the wet end of the paper machine.

Wire
The moving "screen" at the wet end of a paper machine where the sheet is formed.

Wire Side
The side of a sheet next to the wire in manufacturing; opposite from the felt or top side; usually
not as smooth as the felt or topside.

Wood-Free
Pulp furnish without mechanical pulp.

Wove
The Paper having a uniform surface and no discernible marks. Soft, smooth finish, most widely
used writing, printing, book and envelope paper. Relatively low opacity, brightness and bulk.

Xerography
The printing process used by photocopying machines. Electric charge creates the image on an
eloctro-photographic surface that works as a plate. This surface is cleared after each copy is
made, and used over again for the next copy.

Yankee Machine
A type of Fourdrinier paper machine employing a single dryer of large circumference with
highly polished surface.

Yellowing
Or brightness reversion is the discoloration of white paper primarily due to aging.

Yield
Ratio of product output and raw material input, expressed in percentage.
Z

Z-Direction Tensile Strength


The tensile strength measured perpendicularly to its surface.

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