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Showing posts with label Paper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paper. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Paper - from another most unusual and environmentally friendly source
Paper made from poop
Plant fibers (typically from trees) are the usual base material used in making pulp for paper production. However those plant fibers don't have to come unprocessed directly from the plant. The fibers can actually be gathered after being processed by certain animals and delivered for paper-making in their poop.
Paper products can be made from the poop of a variety of different fiber-eating herbivores including elephants, cows, horses, moose, pandas, and donkeys. These animals eat lots of vegetation everyday and they are prolific poopers. Since the digestive systems of these animals don’t break down the vegetation very well, their poop contains plenty of fiber even after their meal is consumed. They are basicaly doing the first stage of any paper making process – getting the fibers. Elephants, for example, can eat upwards of 250kg per day of fiber-filled meals with much of that passing through their systems largely intact. It is estimated that one elephant can produce enough poop to make about 115 sheets of paper per day.
From poop to paper
Although the source may be different, the process of making paper is not that different from making it from conventionally acquired fibers.
First, the poop is collected, then rinsed and boiled to a pulp. The solution is then blended or spun to soften and cut the fibers. Other things such as dye and/or other fibrous materials may be added to give the solution the proper consistency.
The slurry is then sifted onto rectangular sieves and allowed to dry. When dry, the thin layer of plant fibers is peeled off the sieve and made into raw sheets and rolls of paper.
Using paper made from poop is a fantastic example of sustainable and recycling practices and solutions to our environmental challenges.
Plant fibers (typically from trees) are the usual base material used in making pulp for paper production. However those plant fibers don't have to come unprocessed directly from the plant. The fibers can actually be gathered after being processed by certain animals and delivered for paper-making in their poop.Paper products can be made from the poop of a variety of different fiber-eating herbivores including elephants, cows, horses, moose, pandas, and donkeys. These animals eat lots of vegetation everyday and they are prolific poopers. Since the digestive systems of these animals don’t break down the vegetation very well, their poop contains plenty of fiber even after their meal is consumed. They are basicaly doing the first stage of any paper making process – getting the fibers. Elephants, for example, can eat upwards of 250kg per day of fiber-filled meals with much of that passing through their systems largely intact. It is estimated that one elephant can produce enough poop to make about 115 sheets of paper per day.
From poop to paper
Although the source may be different, the process of making paper is not that different from making it from conventionally acquired fibers.
First, the poop is collected, then rinsed and boiled to a pulp. The solution is then blended or spun to soften and cut the fibers. Other things such as dye and/or other fibrous materials may be added to give the solution the proper consistency.
The slurry is then sifted onto rectangular sieves and allowed to dry. When dry, the thin layer of plant fibers is peeled off the sieve and made into raw sheets and rolls of paper.Using paper made from poop is a fantastic example of sustainable and recycling practices and solutions to our environmental challenges.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Paper - from a most unusual and environmentally friendly source
Paper can be made from a variety of materials, but perhaps one of the most unusual and environmentally friendly is paper made from stones.
Stone paper is known by many names including rock paper, limestone paper, eco-stone, and synthetic paper.
How it's made
Stone paper is made with a mixture of about 80% calcium carbonate which is also used in the manufacture of conventional tree-based paper. The calcium carbonate usually comes from limestone, marble and other stones collected as waste material from existing quarries for the building and construction industry. The stones are ground down to a fine chalk-like powder then a small quantity (about 20%) of non-toxic resin (HDPE- High Density Polyethylene) is added as a binder for the calcium carbonate. Together these materials create a soft, smooth, bright white paper that is tough, durable and both water and tear resistant. The paper is chlorine free, acid free, and safe for the environment.
The ECO benefit
• One ton of virgin paper uses 20 trees, 36,000 BTU’s of energy, creates 16,000 gallons of contaminated waste water, uses bleach, and contains 20-30% calcium carbonate (stone).
• One ton of recycled paper uses 4 trees, 22,000 BTU’s of energy, creates 9,000 gallons of contaminated waste water, uses bleach, and contains 20-30% calcium carbonate (stone).
• One ton of stone paper uses 0 trees, creates absolutely no waste water, and uses half the energy of virgin paper and 1/3 the energy of recycled paper. Stone paper does not require bleaching chemicals and generates no air pollution.
Stone-based paper is recyclable with both paper and plastic. Since it is stone it is not biodegradable. On exposure to UV light, e.g. from the sun, and moisture, the High Density Polyethylene breaks down after about a year returning the calcium carbonate to a power form. Egg shells are 95% calcium carbonate and decompose in a similar way. The HDPE is also recyclable and has the number "2" as its recycling symbol. Much of household waste is sent to WTE (Waste to Energy) plants where it is incinerated, scrubbed of carbon, and ‘recycled’ into energy. Even conventional paper waste ends up in WTE plants. If stone paper ends up at a WTE plant it actually is a great contributor since it burns more cleanly than many other materials and does not produce toxins.
The calcium carbonate itself is the most abundant natural mineral on earth making up 70% of all minerals on the planet. Mining and quarrying operations already existing in the world scrape away tons of calcium carbonate each year in an effort to get at the ‘more precious’ minerals. This excess material makes calcium carbonate a great ‘filler’ for papers, plastics, some food products and many household products.
Stone-based papers are:
• Water Proof
• Grease Proof
• Tear Resistant
• Weather Resistant
• An alternative to synthetic papers such as Yupo, Tyvek and polypropylene films
• A great grease barrier
• A great outdoors product (with the addition of UV blockers)
Some stone-based paper brands include: FiberStone® Natural Stone Paper, Terraskin, and Rockstock.
Stone paper is known by many names including rock paper, limestone paper, eco-stone, and synthetic paper.
How it's made
Stone paper is made with a mixture of about 80% calcium carbonate which is also used in the manufacture of conventional tree-based paper. The calcium carbonate usually comes from limestone, marble and other stones collected as waste material from existing quarries for the building and construction industry. The stones are ground down to a fine chalk-like powder then a small quantity (about 20%) of non-toxic resin (HDPE- High Density Polyethylene) is added as a binder for the calcium carbonate. Together these materials create a soft, smooth, bright white paper that is tough, durable and both water and tear resistant. The paper is chlorine free, acid free, and safe for the environment.
The ECO benefit
• One ton of virgin paper uses 20 trees, 36,000 BTU’s of energy, creates 16,000 gallons of contaminated waste water, uses bleach, and contains 20-30% calcium carbonate (stone).
• One ton of recycled paper uses 4 trees, 22,000 BTU’s of energy, creates 9,000 gallons of contaminated waste water, uses bleach, and contains 20-30% calcium carbonate (stone).
• One ton of stone paper uses 0 trees, creates absolutely no waste water, and uses half the energy of virgin paper and 1/3 the energy of recycled paper. Stone paper does not require bleaching chemicals and generates no air pollution.
Stone-based paper is recyclable with both paper and plastic. Since it is stone it is not biodegradable. On exposure to UV light, e.g. from the sun, and moisture, the High Density Polyethylene breaks down after about a year returning the calcium carbonate to a power form. Egg shells are 95% calcium carbonate and decompose in a similar way. The HDPE is also recyclable and has the number "2" as its recycling symbol. Much of household waste is sent to WTE (Waste to Energy) plants where it is incinerated, scrubbed of carbon, and ‘recycled’ into energy. Even conventional paper waste ends up in WTE plants. If stone paper ends up at a WTE plant it actually is a great contributor since it burns more cleanly than many other materials and does not produce toxins.
The calcium carbonate itself is the most abundant natural mineral on earth making up 70% of all minerals on the planet. Mining and quarrying operations already existing in the world scrape away tons of calcium carbonate each year in an effort to get at the ‘more precious’ minerals. This excess material makes calcium carbonate a great ‘filler’ for papers, plastics, some food products and many household products.
Stone-based papers are:
• Water Proof
• Grease Proof
• Tear Resistant
• Weather Resistant
• An alternative to synthetic papers such as Yupo, Tyvek and polypropylene films
• A great grease barrier
• A great outdoors product (with the addition of UV blockers)
Some stone-based paper brands include: FiberStone® Natural Stone Paper, Terraskin, and Rockstock.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Understanding paper brightness and whiteness
For most printers and print buyers, the terms brightness and whiteness are interchangeable. However, when describing the characteristics of paper there are some important differences between the two terms.Brightness refers to the percent reflectance of blue light, as measured at a wavelength at, or about, 457nm. The choice of that wavelength is based on the sensitivity of the human eye to blue and yellow light. Brightness was originally a test in paper manufacturing to measure the effectiveness of the bleaching process in removing yellowness from pulp. When paper is bleached, the spectral reflectance curve increases the most in the blue and violet range, at about the 457nm point. This has also made the measurement of brightness well suited for measuring the aging of paper because paper yellows with age. Most white papers are in the 60 to 90% brightness range.
Whiteness, on the other hand, refers to the extent to which paper reflects equally the light of all wavelengths throughout the visible spectrum. A truly white sheet of paper will not absorb one wavelength of light energy more than another. For example, if a sheet of paper is placed under a full spectrum light, most of that light will be reflected back equally and the paper will appear white. However, if some of the wavelengths of light energy are absorbed, the color of the paper will shift to the light which was not absorbed, but was instead reflected back to the viewer. That is why a red sheet of paper appears red in white light because it absorbs all the other colors and reflects only the red.
Addendum:
In the draft of the new ISO 12647-3 there is a value of 58% for paper brightness specified. The paper whiteness is "To be defined by the paper suppliers".
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Paper size and weight conversions
In North America, the default paper size is "Letter" size while outside North America, the default paper size is A4.
ISO 216 - Standard Metric Paper Sizes 
Standard North American Sizes 
Paper weights
There are two terms commonly used to describe paper weight:
• Basis Weight The basis weight of a paper is based on the weight of 500 sheets, measured in pounds, in that paper's basic sheet size. Note that the "basic sheet size" is not the same for all types of paper which makes comparisons of weight between different papers difficult.
• Caliper Caliper refers to the thickness of a sheet of paper measured with a micrometer and expressed in thousandth of an inch. Paper caliper should not vary more than +/- 5% to 7% within a sheet. Generally, there is a relation between caliper and basis weight in that the greater the caliper (the thicker the paper), the greater the paper weight. But not always.
Darker colored boxes represent the
most common paper weights for that category. 
This Table was compiled by Micro Format, Inc., Wheeing IL. Used with permission.
Paper weights
There are two terms commonly used to describe paper weight:
• Basis Weight The basis weight of a paper is based on the weight of 500 sheets, measured in pounds, in that paper's basic sheet size. Note that the "basic sheet size" is not the same for all types of paper which makes comparisons of weight between different papers difficult.
• Caliper Caliper refers to the thickness of a sheet of paper measured with a micrometer and expressed in thousandth of an inch. Paper caliper should not vary more than +/- 5% to 7% within a sheet. Generally, there is a relation between caliper and basis weight in that the greater the caliper (the thicker the paper), the greater the paper weight. But not always.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The paper problem - no specifications
Typically paper - the most used printing substrate - accounts for some 30-50 percent of the overall print project cost. And despite the fact that it is also often the most expensive component of the final presswork it's surprising that there are no published standards, specifications or trade customs in the paper industry.The assignment of a particular grade to a quality category and the establishment of sales policies are made by each paper mill based on its own internal evaluation of its products relative to those of its competitors. That makes direct, objective, competitive comparisons between different papers virtually impossible.
The color of paper is identified using adjectives like "cream","natural", "white", etc. rather than objective definitions such as the CIEL*a*b* coordinates that printers use. Again, there are no specifications or tolerances provided by mills as to the consistency of a specific paper color either through the stack, roll, or when the same brand is supplied by mills located in different regions.
The brightness of the sheet is one common measure of distinction. It is measured by comparing the amount of light reflected by the paper surface to the amount of the same light reflected by the surface of magnesium oxide established as the standard of 100%. A common term used in quoting the measure is “G.E. brightness,” although G.E. no longer manufactures the measuring instrument. "Brightness" is also not a measurement that printers or buyers can measure themselves. Even though variation is part of every manufacturing process, there are no defined tolerances for paper brightness.
There are no specifications or tolerances or even notification of optical brightener agent content. This has become a major issue as the mills have mostly switched from clay fillers to calcium carbonate. This problem has resulted in the fact that papers today, for the most part, no longer meet the ISO 12647 specification. Papers with optical brighteners are impossible to visually match between printing technologies which can cause severe disconnects between proof and presswork as well as greater color shifting as presswork and proof are viewed under different lighting conditions.
"Caliper" defines the thickness of paper, measured in thousandths of an inch, which can also be expressed as a point size - e.g. If the caliper of a paper measures .009 inches it is a "9 point" stock. As paper caliper varies, presswork color may also vary. But again there are no defined tolerances for paper caliper either through the stack, roll, or across the width or length of the sheet.
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