AD 105

Papermaking history
Chinese Han Dynasty: the birthplace
of paper as we know it today.

AD 610
Papermaking spread across
Asia, Middle East, and Europe. Of all the writing materials mankind has employed down through the ages, paper has become
the most widely used around the world. Paper has a long history stretching back to ancient
Fibres were created Egypt in the third millennium BC. The word ‘paper’ is derived from papyrus, a plant that was
by beating.
once abundant in Egypt. Paper as we know it traces its roots back to China at the beginning of
the first millennium AD. Originally intended purely for writing and printing purposes, a dazzling
array of paper products are available to today’s consumer.

Use of water to
power machinery. 14th century
A stamping mill was developed Export of the papermaking
to produce pulp more efficiently. technique to Europe and a series of

Primarily rags were used

improvements to the process. 16th century
as raw material and later The advantages of mill-based
de-fibred bamboo. papermaking spread throughout Europe.

A number of types were

developed, such as sized,
coated and dyed paper.
19th century
The Arabs coated paper with
More machines were
starch paste that gave paper
invented and improved
good writing properties and
leading to increased
a fine appearance.
production speed,
for instance the
cylinder machines.
More paper
Wood became the main raw is created
material for paper making, 17 and th thanks to better
thanks to the invention of
the wood-grinding machine. 18th century Sheets are dried
machinery.

Invention of machines to on ropes.

facilitate papermaking
such as the Hollander
Beater. This machine was
developed by the Dutch Large scale
to produce paper pulp production.
from cellulose.

20th century
Full scale industrialisation
21st century
Paper for recycling has become the
main raw material for paper making. Insulation material made out
of recycled fibre cellulose.
Paper is innovative and it is
It is a very effective material for
constantly evolving. New ways
passive housing and buildings
of using papers are being
and an excellent temperature
devised daily, including usage
stabiliser and sound insulator.
in the technological, chemical;
and medical industries. The greatly increased demand for
paper led to a shortage of rags.
Cellulose containing plant fibres
was introduced as raw material.

Paper production process

became fully automated from Development of paper grades
preparatory and pulping to such as lightweight coated
papermaking and finishing. paper that are normally used in
magazines, flyers or coupons.

The biorefinery process produces a

wide variety of sustainable materials.
For instance food additives like vanillin
or a specialty cellulose like viscose,
which can be used for textiles,
cosmetics and industrial applications.

CEPI aisbl • Confederation of European Paper Industries

250 Avenue Louise, box 80 • B-1050 Brussels • Belgium