The process of making paper

The process of papermaking is as follows:

The first is the separation of raw materials, that is, degumming raw materials in alkaline solution and dispersing them into fibers by retting or cooking.

The second is beating, that is, cutting the fiber and sweeping the fiber into pulp.

The third is papermaking, that is, the pulp is made into slurry through water seepage, and then the pulp is fished out with a fishing machine (mat), and the pulp is interwoven into thin wet paper on the fishing machine.

The fourth is drying, that is, drying or drying wet paper, and taking it off becomes paper.

make paper

In the early days of papermaking, the main raw materials for papermaking were bark and rags. At that time, the rags were mainly hemp fibers, and the varieties were mainly ramie and hemp. It is said that cotton in China was introduced from India at the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty at the same time as Buddhism, and was used for textile in the later period. The bark used at that time was mainly sandalwood and Broussonetia papyrifera (that is, Broussonetia papyrifera).

Paper appeared in China in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty in the 2nd century BC at the latest. The original paper was made of hemp fiber or hemp fabric. Because papermaking is still in the primary stage, the process is simple, and the made paper has rough texture, loose fiber bundles and uneven surface, which is not suitable for writing. Generally only used for packaging.