The Chemistry of Paper

Book excerpt: The manufacture of paper involves a large amount of chemistry, including carbohydrate chemistry, pigments and resins and colloid and surface chemistry, as well as elements of environmental and analytical chemistry. Providing an overview of the making of paper from a chemical perspective, this book deals with both the chemistry of paper as a material and the chemistry of its production. The book explores several chemical processes involved in the production of paper: the delignification of the wood fibres performed at elevated temperature and pressure, the bleaching of the cellulose-rich pulp using environmentally-friendly systems, the formation of the pulp into sheets of fibres strengthened by extensive inter-fibre hydrogen bonding, and finally the coating of the sheets in a manner appropriate to their end use. This book is an informative and entertaining overview for students and others who require an introduction to the chemistry of paper manufacture.