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Pulp and paper making
THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE MUSEUM A. C. CARLTON, DIRECTOR
PULP AND PAPER MAKING BY THOMAS COULSON 1
The average person buys so little paper directly that he does not realize the size and scope of the paper industry. Paper is money, letters, postage stamps, books, household tissues, newspapers, blue prints, food packaging, wrappings, and checks, and a host of other things in daily use. The per capita consumption of paper in the United States is about 400 pounds. It is not surprising then that pulp, paper, and board mills rank fifth in the terms of value of their products, being exceeded only by motor vehicles and parts, wholesale meat packing, steel and rolling mills, and petroleum refining. In order that the papermaking section of the Museum might be fully representative of this vast industry, a special room has now been designed with the co-operation of the Middle Atlantic Group of the American Paper and Pulp Association. When paper was first developed it was made exclusively of linen rags but, as its use-expanded, the supply of the raw material proved totally inadequate to meet the demands. This promoted a search for a substitute, and many vegetable substances, such as grass and straw, were investigated before it was found that the cellulose in wood gave excellent results. The latest available figures show that over'29 million cords of wood are consumed annually in the pulp mills. With such a gigantic consumption there would appear to be a dismal future for our forests. Actually, there is no need for pessimism, for the industry is applying a far-seeing policy of conservation. Through the application of advanced views on forestry, the nation's forests may be regarded as a continuing natural resource. Pulp mill owners are acquiring their own forests, and are striving, with happy results, toward securing a succession of tree crops, thus guaranteeing a sustained yield. The exhibit in the Museum opens with a brief survey of this activity and proceeds with the story of the combination of wood, labor, water, and energy which culminates in the production of paper of all kinds. An attractive background to the whole story of the paper industry has been designed with the object of presenting the visitor with a comprehensive view. Provision has been made for those who want more detail, such as flow charts for the three main chemical processes. Until the early years of the 19th Century, all paper was made in single sheets by hand, a slow and laborious process as may be seen from the exhibit. The increasing demand for more and more paper of 1 Director of M u s e u m Research. 63
64
THE
FRANKLIN
INSTITUTE
MUSEUM
[J. F. I.
all kinds promoted the mechanization of production, so t h a t machines now t u r n out paper in a continuous roll which can be cut to convenient sizes, often cut before it leaves the machine. T h e high point of the display is the operation at scheduled times of the scale-model Foudrinier p a p e r m a k i n g machine. Small as this machine m a y be, it makes paper. It is not generally known t h a t this little machine has been used to run a variety of experiments in which the most unlikely materials have been incorporated, fiberglas, artificial fibers, r u b b e r , - - e v e n a high explosive. One of the most difficult problems was to make a paper thinner t h a n cigarette paper, an experiment which required use of a special wire. Industrial firms have found t h a t their experiments m a y be run most economically on this machine. Passing from the actual process of papermaking, visitors will have the o p p o r t u n i t y of seeing how tests are applied to ensure that the paper meets with specifications, and also the variety of papers now in use. Some of the uses to which paper is used will be shown in exhibits t h a t will be changed at intervals in order to present the wide diversity of uses. Paper has been used as a substitute for m a n y other materials, but no substitute has yet been found for paper. This M u s e u m exhibit will serve as an excellent introduction to a subject t h a t influences all our lives. T r y to imagine how a modern business could be conducted w i t h o u t paper.
PULP AND PAPER MAKING BY THOMAS COULSON 1
The average person buys so little paper directly that he does not realize the size and scope of the paper industry. Paper is money, letters, postage stamps, books, household tissues, newspapers, blue prints, food packaging, wrappings, and checks, and a host of other things in daily use. The per capita consumption of paper in the United States is about 400 pounds. It is not surprising then that pulp, paper, and board mills rank fifth in the terms of value of their products, being exceeded only by motor vehicles and parts, wholesale meat packing, steel and rolling mills, and petroleum refining. In order that the papermaking section of the Museum might be fully representative of this vast industry, a special room has now been designed with the co-operation of the Middle Atlantic Group of the American Paper and Pulp Association. When paper was first developed it was made exclusively of linen rags but, as its use-expanded, the supply of the raw material proved totally inadequate to meet the demands. This promoted a search for a substitute, and many vegetable substances, such as grass and straw, were investigated before it was found that the cellulose in wood gave excellent results. The latest available figures show that over'29 million cords of wood are consumed annually in the pulp mills. With such a gigantic consumption there would appear to be a dismal future for our forests. Actually, there is no need for pessimism, for the industry is applying a far-seeing policy of conservation. Through the application of advanced views on forestry, the nation's forests may be regarded as a continuing natural resource. Pulp mill owners are acquiring their own forests, and are striving, with happy results, toward securing a succession of tree crops, thus guaranteeing a sustained yield. The exhibit in the Museum opens with a brief survey of this activity and proceeds with the story of the combination of wood, labor, water, and energy which culminates in the production of paper of all kinds. An attractive background to the whole story of the paper industry has been designed with the object of presenting the visitor with a comprehensive view. Provision has been made for those who want more detail, such as flow charts for the three main chemical processes. Until the early years of the 19th Century, all paper was made in single sheets by hand, a slow and laborious process as may be seen from the exhibit. The increasing demand for more and more paper of 1 Director of M u s e u m Research. 63
64
THE
FRANKLIN
INSTITUTE
MUSEUM
[J. F. I.
all kinds promoted the mechanization of production, so t h a t machines now t u r n out paper in a continuous roll which can be cut to convenient sizes, often cut before it leaves the machine. T h e high point of the display is the operation at scheduled times of the scale-model Foudrinier p a p e r m a k i n g machine. Small as this machine m a y be, it makes paper. It is not generally known t h a t this little machine has been used to run a variety of experiments in which the most unlikely materials have been incorporated, fiberglas, artificial fibers, r u b b e r , - - e v e n a high explosive. One of the most difficult problems was to make a paper thinner t h a n cigarette paper, an experiment which required use of a special wire. Industrial firms have found t h a t their experiments m a y be run most economically on this machine. Passing from the actual process of papermaking, visitors will have the o p p o r t u n i t y of seeing how tests are applied to ensure that the paper meets with specifications, and also the variety of papers now in use. Some of the uses to which paper is used will be shown in exhibits t h a t will be changed at intervals in order to present the wide diversity of uses. Paper has been used as a substitute for m a n y other materials, but no substitute has yet been found for paper. This M u s e u m exhibit will serve as an excellent introduction to a subject t h a t influences all our lives. T r y to imagine how a modern business could be conducted w i t h o u t paper.