How is paper made from trees?
Papermaking has been around for about 4,000 years. The Egyptians had a process of making papyrus, a plant based paper product. The Chinese in the 2nd century BC had a paper making process involving a fibrous matter. In the 8th century, Arabs had learned the art of paper making, which explains the rise of their intellectual endeavors and learning. It is one of those basic products that make our civilization what it is. But how is it made? Although the process has been refined over the years, the process today is less due to innovation than to efficiency of existing processes. It uses wood and it consists of eight stages: debarking, chipping, pulping, bleaching, paper machine, blade coater, supercalendar, and sheet converting.
