Exploring

Basic Concepts

Papermaking

Paper and board are by far the most common material found in library, archives, and records collections. The invention of paper is credited to the Chinese in 105 AD. The technique gradually spread to Japan, central Asia, and Persia over the next 600 years. The first hand papermaking mill was established in Spain in the 12th century, and papermaking spread throughout Europe over the next 300 years.

Hand Papermaking

In hand papermaking, a screen is passed through the water to form a mat of fibers, which is pressed between felts to be dried.

In this process, a fibrous material (the earliest papers were made from linen and cotton rags) is boiled and pounded to reduce it to its constituent fibers, and the fibers are suspended in water. A screen (called a mould) is passed through the water to form a mat of fibers, and the resulting sheet of intertwined fibers is pressed between felts to be dried. The sheet is then sized to make the surface suitable for writing, either by coating the paper by hand or dipping it into a tub of sizing solution (very early papers were often sized with starch; later, gelatin was used).

Machine Papermaking

The papermaking machine was invented in France in the late 18th century, and was further developed in England in the early 19th century by the Fourdrinier brothers, by whose name it is still known. The first Fourdrinier papermaking machine was put into operation in 1804. In machine papermaking, the reduced fibers (pulp) are suspended in water, which is placed in a reservoir; the pulp is poured onto a continuous roll of woven wire mesh, which allows the water to drain through; the wire mesh is moved from side to side to form a mat of fibers; and the sheet then runs through a felt roller to dry it.

In machine papermaking, pulp is poured onto a continuous roll of woven wire mesh, then run through a felt roller to dry.

This method has been refined to make it more efficient over the last 200 years, but the essential process remains the same. Explore The Wisconsin Paper Council's Papermaking Process Web site for a description of the modern commercial paper-making process. What do you think are some ways in which the materials used and the process itself might contribute to the instability of paper?