Packaging papers and paperboards
A wide range of papers and paperboards are commercially available to meet
market needs resulting from the choice of fibres available, bleached and unbleached,
virgin and recycled, and because fibres can be modified at the stock prepara-
tion stage.
Paper and board based products can be made in a wide range of grammages
and thicknesses. The surface finish (appearance) can be varied mechanically.
Additives introduced at the stock preparation stage provide special properties.
Coatings applied, smoothed and dried, to either one or both surfaces, offer a
variety of appearance and performance features which are enhanced by subsequent
printing and conversion, thereby resulting in various types of packaging.
To illustrate these features of paper and paperboard some examples are
described below.
8.4.1 Wet strength paper
Paper sacks used in wet conditions need to retain at least 30% of their dry
strength when saturated with water. To achieve wet strength, urea formalde-
hyde and melamine formaldehyde are added to the stock. These chemicals cross
link during drying and are deposited on the surface of the cellulose fibres mak-
ing them resistant to water absorption.
8.4.2 Microcreping
Microcreping, e.g. as achieved by the Clupak process, builds an almost invisible
crimp into paper during drying enabling paper to stretch up to 7% in the MD
compared to a more normal 2%. When used in paper sacks this feature improves
the ability of the paper to withstand dynamic stresses, such as occur when sacks are
dropped.
8.4.3 Greaseproof
The hydration (refining) of fibres at the stock preparation stage, already described, is
taken much further than normal. It is carried out as a batch process and is
known as beating. The fibres are treated (hydrated) so that they become almost
gelatinous.
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8.4.4 Glassine
This is a supercalendered (SC) greaseproof paper. The calendering produces a
very dense sheet with a high (smooth and glossy) finish. It is non-porous,
greaseproof, can be laminated to board and can be silicone coated to facilitate
product release. Glassine is also available in several colours.
8.4.5 Vegetable parchment
Bleached chemical pulp is made into paper conventionally and then passed
through a bath of sulphuric acid. Some of the surface cellulose is gelatinised on
passing into water and redeposited between the surface fibres forming an
impervious layer. This paper has high grease resistance and wet strength.
8.4.6 Tissues
Neutral pH grades with low chloride and sulphate residues are laminated to
aluminium foil. The grammages range from 17-30 gim2. Tea and coffee bag
tissue is a special light weight tissue available either as a heat sealable product
(containing a proportion of Polypropylene fibres), or as a non-heat sealable
product, in grammages from 12-17 gim2. It incorporates long fibres, such as
those derived from manilla hemp which give a strong permeable sheet at the
low grammages used.
8.4.7 Paper labels
These may be MG (machine glazed), MF (machine finished) or calendered
kraft papers (100% sulphate chemical pulp) in the grammage range 70-90 gim2.
The paper may be coated on-machine or cast coated for the highest gloss in an
off-machine or secondary process.
The term finish in the paper industry refers to the surface appearance. This
may be:
MF — machine finish, smooth but not glazed
WF — water finish where one or both sides are dampened and smoothed, to
be smoother and glossier than MF
MG — machine glazed with high gloss on one side only
SC — supercalendered, i.e. dampened and polished off-machine to produce a
high gloss on both sides.
8.4.8 Bag papers
For sugar or flour, coated or uncoated bleached kraft in the range 90-100 gim2 is
used. Imitation kraft is a term on which there is no universally agreed defin-
ition, it can be either a blend of kraft with recycled fibre or it can be 100%
recycled. It is usually dyed brown, It has many uses for wrapping and for bags
where it may have an MG and a ribbed finish. Thinner grades may be used for
lamination with aluminium foil and PE for use on form/fill/seal machines,
8.4.9 Sack kraft
Usually this is unbleached kraft (100% sulphate chemical) pulp, though there is
some use of bleached kraft, The grammage range is 70-100 g/m2.
8.4.10 Impregnated papers
Wax impregnated paper and fluorocarbon treatment for grease/fat resistance is
produced on-machine.
8.4.11 Laminating papers
These are coated and uncoated papers (40-80 gim2) based on both kraft (sul-
phate) and sulphite pulps. These papers can be laminated to aluminium foil
and extrusion coated with PE. The heavier weights can be PE laminated to
plastic films and wax or glue laminated to unlined chipboard.
8.4.12 Solid bleached board (SBB)
Solid bleached board is made exclusively from bleached chemical pulp (Fig. 8.6). It
usually has a mineral pigment coated top surface and some grades are also
coated on the back. The term SBS (solid bleached sulphate), derived from the
method of pulp production, is sometimes used to describe this product.
This paperboard has excellent surface and printing characteristics. It gives
wide scope for innovative structural design and can be embossed, cut, creased,
folded and glued with ease. This is a pure cellulose primary (virgin) paper-
board with consistent purity for food product safety making it the best choice
for the packaging of aroma and flavour sensitive products, Examples of use
include chocolate confectionery, frozen foods, cheese, tea, coffee, repeatable
products and as a base for liquid packaging.
8.4.13 Solid unbleached board (SUB)
Solid unbleached board is made exclusively from unbleached chemical pulp
(Fig. 8:7)_ The base board is brown in colour. This product is also known as
solid unbleached sulphate. To achieve a white surface it can be coated with a
white mineral pigment coating, sometimes in combination with a layer of bleached
white fibres under the coating. This board is used where there is a high strength
Coating
Bleached
chemical pulp
Figure 8.6 Solid bleached board (courtesy of Iggesund Paperboard).
Unbleached
chemical pulp
Figure 8.7 Solid unbleached board (courtesy of Iggesund Paperboard).
requirement in terms of puncture and tear resistance and/or good wet strength is
required such as for bottle or can multipacks, and as a base for liquid packaging.
8.4.14 Folding boxboard (FBB)
Folding boxboard comprises middle layers of mechanical pulp sandwiched
between layers of bleached chemical pulp (Fig. 8.8). The top layer of bleached
chemical pulp is usually coated with a white mineral pigment coating. The
back is cream (manilla) in colour. This is because the back layer of bleached
chemical pulp is translucent allowing the colour of the middle layers to show
through_ However, if the mechanical pulp in the middle layers has been given a
mild chemical treatment (bleached) it is lighter in colour and this makes the
reverse side colour lighter in shade. The back layer may however be thicker or
Coating
Bleached
chemical pulp
Mechanical
pulp
Bleached
chemical pulp
Figure 8.8 Folding boxboard (courtesy of Iggesund Paperboard).
coated with a white mineral pigment coating, thus becoming a white back folding
box board. The combination of inner layers of mechanical pulp and outer layers
of bleached chemical pulp creates a board with high stiffness.
Fully coated grades have a smooth surface and excellent printing character-
istics. This paperboard is a primary (virgin fibre) product with consistent purity
for food product safety and suitable for the packing of aroma and flavour
sensitive products. It is widely used for food products such as confectionery,
frozen and chilled foods, tea, coffee, bakery products and biscuits.
8.4.15 White lined chipboard (WLC)
White lined chipboard comprises middle plies of recycled pulp recovered from
mixed papers or carton waste. The middle layers are grey in colour. The top
layer, or liner of bleached chemical pulp is usually white mineral pigment coated.
The second layer, or under liner, may also comprise bleached chemical pulp or
mechanical pulp. This product is also known as newsboard. The term chipboard
is also used, though this name is more likely to be associated with an unlined
grade, i.e. without a white, or other colour, surface liner ply (Fig. 8.9).
The reverse-side outer layer usually comprises specially selected recycled
pulp and is grey in colour. The external appearance may be white by the use of
bleached chemical pulp and, possibly, a white mineral pigment coating, (White PE
has also been used.)
There are additional grades of unlined chipboard and grades with
special dyed liner plies for use in the manufacture of corrugated fibreboard.
Coating
Bleached
chemical pulp
Selected/bleached
waste
Mixed waste
Selected/bleached
waste
Figure 8.9 White lined chipboard (courtesy of Iggesund Paperboard).
The overall content of WLC varies from about 80-100% recovered fibre
depending on the choice of fibre used in the various layers. WLC is widely
used for cereals, dried foods, frozen and chilled foods, and confectionery
outers.