5 How Paper is Made

How Paper is Made written by Julie Ellis

pine trees Most paper is made from large, quick-growing softwood trees, like pines. The trees are specially grown for papermaking. Millions of new trees are planted every year so that there will always be new trees growing. When the trees are cut down, their branches are cut off to make logs.

floating logs It is not easy to drive large trucks close enough to pick up the logs. Sometimes logs are floated down a river because that is an easier way to move them.

wood chips Once the logs reach the timber mill, the bark is taken off. They are chopped into small wood chips, which are then taken by truck to a paper mill. The chips are turned into wood fibre by grinding them between two strong discs. Old paper can also be used for fibre. The wood fibre is turned into pulp by adding steam.

paper pulp The pulp is washed and strained to take out any large bits of fibre. Water is added to make the pulp liquid. Sometimes bleach is used to make it white, or colour can be added. The pulp is then pressed onto a wire screen. It looks like paper, but it is very wet. The wet paper is sent through rollers to squeeze the water out. When the paper has been dried, it goes through more rollers to make it smooth.

paper rolls There are many different kinds of paper that need to be finished in different ways. What will the paper be used for? Most paper needs a special finish sprayed onto both sides. Some paper needs to be soft, and some needs a smooth, shiny finish. The paper is put on a large roll so it can be cut, wrapped, and labelled. It is loaded onto trucks and taken to stores to be sold. Paper is not all used for writing. How many different uses for paper do you know?