Stone paper

Last updated

Stone paper products, also referred to as bio-plastic paper, mineral paper or rich mineral paper, are strong and durable paper-like materials manufactured from calcium carbonate bonded with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin. They are used in many of the same applications as cellulose-based paper. [1] [2]

Contents

Properties

Stone "paper" consists of roughly 80% calcium carbonate, 18% HDPE and 2% proprietary coating. [3] It has a density range of 1.0–1.6 g/cm3 (0.58–0.92 oz/cu in), which is equal to or slightly higher than that of ordinary paper, and a texture somewhat like that of the outer membrane of a boiled egg. It is not biodegradable or compostable, but is photo-degradable by the ultraviolet (UVa) light in daylight. [4] Thus stone "paper" does not meet archival standards and requires special measures for long-term conservation.

Because it is not made from cellulose fibers, stone paper can have a smoother surface than most traditional products, eliminating the need for additional coating or lamination. [5] The calcium carbonate is mined from quarries or precipitated from limestone. [3] The production of stone paper uses no acid, bleach or optical brighteners. [6] It can be recycled into new stone paper, but only if recycled separately at dedicated civic amenity sites or other recycling/waste processing points. [7] [6]

Stone paper products are compatible with inkjet or solid ink printers (e.g., offset, letterpress, gravure, flexographic) but do not respond well to very high temperature laser printers. [8] [9]

Sustainability

Comparisons have been made between stone paper and traditional paper for applications like book printing in Europe. [10] If stone paper replaced coated and uncoated graphic printing stock in Europe, it could potentially reduce CO₂ emissions by 25% to 62%, water consumption by 89% to 99.2%, and wood usage by 100% compared to current European consumption, which is mostly of virgin paper. [3] [11] The environmental benefits of stone paper relative to recycled paper are much less substantial. [3] [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ink</span> Liquid or paste that contains pigments or dyes

Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thicker inks, in paste form, are used extensively in letterpress and lithographic printing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Resin identification code</span> Symbol to identify the type of plastic

The ASTM International Resin Identification Coding System, often abbreviated RIC, is a set of symbols appearing on plastic products that identify the plastic resin out of which the product is made. It was developed in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry in the United States, but since 2008 it has been administered by ASTM International, an international standards organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermoplastic</span> Plastic that softens with heat and hardens on cooling

A thermoplastic, or thermosoftening plastic, is any plastic polymer material that becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paperboard</span> Thick paper-based material

Paperboard is a thick paper-based material. While there is no rigid differentiation between paper and paperboard, paperboard is generally thicker than paper and has certain superior attributes such as foldability and rigidity. According to ISO standards, paperboard is a paper with a grammage above 250 g/m2, but there are exceptions. Paperboard can be single- or multi-ply.

Eastman Chemical Company is an American company primarily involved in the chemical industry. Once a subsidiary of Kodak, today it is an independent global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of advanced materials, chemicals and fibers for everyday purposes. Founded in 1920 and based in Kingsport, Tennessee, the company operates 36 manufacturing sites worldwide and employs approximately 14,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barium sulfate</span> Inorganic chemical compound

Barium sulfate (or sulphate) is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula BaSO4. It is a white crystalline solid that is odorless and insoluble in water. It occurs in nature as the mineral barite, which is the main commercial source of barium and materials prepared from it. Its opaque white appearance and its high density are exploited in its main applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water softening</span> Removing positive ions from hard water

Water softening is the removal of calcium, magnesium, and certain other metal cations in hard water. The resulting soft water requires less soap for the same cleaning effort, as soap is not wasted bonding with calcium ions. Soft water also extends the lifetime of plumbing by reducing or eliminating scale build-up in pipes and fittings. Water softening is usually achieved using lime softening or ion-exchange resins, but is increasingly being accomplished using nanofiltration or reverse osmosis membranes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High-density polyethylene</span> Class of polyethylenes

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polyethylene high-density (PEHD) is a thermoplastic polymer produced from the monomer ethylene. It is sometimes called "alkathene" or "polythene" when used for HDPE pipes. With a high strength-to-density ratio, HDPE is used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes and plastic lumber. HDPE is commonly recycled, and has the number "2" as its resin identification code.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low-density polyethylene</span> Chemical compound

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a thermoplastic made from the monomer ethylene. It was the first grade of polyethylene, produced in 1933 by Dr John C. Swallow and M.W Perrin who were working for Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) using a high pressure process via free radical polymerization. Its manufacture employs the same method today. The EPA estimates 5.7% of LDPE is recycled in the United States. Despite competition from more modern polymers, LDPE continues to be an important plastic grade. In 2013 the worldwide LDPE market reached a volume of about US$33 billion.

Coated paper is paper that has been coated by a mixture of materials or a polymer to impart certain qualities to the paper, including weight, surface gloss, smoothness, or reduced ink absorbency. Various materials, including kaolinite, calcium carbonate, bentonite, and talc, can be used to coat paper for high-quality printing used in the packaging industry and in magazines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biodegradable plastic</span> Plastics that can be decomposed by the action of living organisms

Biodegradable plastics are plastics that can be decomposed by the action of living organisms, usually microbes, into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass. Biodegradable plastics are commonly produced with renewable raw materials, micro-organisms, petrochemicals, or combinations of all three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic bottle</span> Narrow-necked container

A plastic bottle is a bottle constructed from high-density or low density plastic. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, milk, ink, etc. They come in a range of sizes, from very small bottles to large carboys. Consumer blow molded containers often have integral handles or are shaped to facilitate grasping.

In printing, anti-set-off spray powder is used to make an air gap between printed sheets of paper. This enables the ink to dry naturally and therefore avoid the unwanted transfer of ink from one printed sheet to another. The problem can occur with most types of printing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filler (materials)</span> Particles added to improve its properties

Filler materials are particles added to resin or binders that can improve specific properties, make the product cheaper, or a mixture of both. The two largest segments for filler material use is elastomers and plastics. Worldwide, more than 53 million tons of fillers are used every year in application areas such as paper, plastics, rubber, paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants. As such, fillers, produced by more than 700 companies, rank among the world's major raw materials and are contained in a variety of goods for daily consumer needs. The top filler materials used are ground calcium carbonate (GCC), precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), kaolin, talc, and carbon black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper</span> Material for writing, printing, etc.

Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses, or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through a fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed on the surface, followed by pressing and drying. Although paper was originally made in single sheets by hand, almost all is now made on large machines—some making reels 10 metres wide, running at 2,000 metres per minute and up to 600,000 tonnes a year. It is a versatile material with many uses, including printing, painting, graphics, signage, design, packaging, decorating, writing, and cleaning. It may also be used as filter paper, wallpaper, book endpaper, conservation paper, laminated worktops, toilet tissue, currency, and security paper, or in a number of industrial and construction processes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Release liner</span>

A release liner or release paper is a paper or plastic-based film sheet used to prevent a sticky surface from prematurely adhering. It is coated on one or both sides with a release agent, which provides a release effect against any type of a sticky material such as an adhesive or a mastic. Release liners are available in different colors, with or without printing under the low surface energy coating or on the backside of the liner. Release is separation of the liner from a sticky material; liner is the carrier for the release agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic</span> Material of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids

Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be molded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptability, plus a wide range of other properties, such as being lightweight, durable, flexible, and inexpensive to produce, has led to their widespread use. Plastics typically are made through human industrial systems. Most modern plastics are derived from fossil fuel-based chemicals like natural gas or petroleum; however, recent industrial methods use variants made from renewable materials, such as corn or cotton derivatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper chemicals</span> Chemicals used in paper manufacturing

Paper chemicals designate a group of chemicals that are used for paper manufacturing, or modify the properties of paper. These chemicals can be used to alter the paper in many ways, including changing its color and brightness, or by increasing its strength and resistance to water. The chemicals can be defined on basis of their usage in the process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multilayered packaging</span>

Multi-layered packaging are multilayer or composite materials using innovative technologies aimed to give barrier properties, strength and storage stability to food items, new materials as well as hazardous materials.

Synthetic paper is a material made out of synthetic resin which is made to have properties similar to regular paper.

References

  1. "Stone Paper carbonate with a plastic resin as a binder. It is found on the global market, available - [PDF Document]". vdocument.in. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  2. "Journalist with a focus on solutions introduces stone paper". FOX40. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bliss (April 23, 2020). "The Sustainability of Stone Paper Products in European Book Paper". Pebble Printing Group. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  4. Chu, Cancy; Nel, Petronella (2019). "Characterisation and deterioration of mineral papers". Aiccm Bulletin. 40: 37–49. doi:10.1080/10344233.2019.1672951. hdl: 11343/290162 . S2CID   210749648.
  5. "Stone Paper – The Facts Explained". Two Sides. 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  6. 1 2 Palladino, "This Paper Is Made From minerals, But It Isn't Exactly Eco-Friendly", WIRED, 2013
  7. "Stone Paper products, Not as Recyclable as You Might Think", Waimakariri District Council, 2018
  8. "Paper Made From Minerals". Kampier.com. 2005-11-30. Archived from the original on 2013-03-09. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
  9. "Stone Paper® Partners With Health Industry Leaders in Mask Production Around the World". PRWeb. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  10. Jonathan, Tame. "Two Sides Campaign Update, Europe, Q1 2020" (PDF).
  11. "Stone Paper Market Size to Grow by USD 1.83 bn from 2020 to 2025| 17000+ Technavio Research Reports". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  12. "Stone Paper Introduces New Repurposing Technology In Mineral Paper". TrendingNG | Latest local and international news, politics, sports, education and entertainment. 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  13. "Stone Paper® Introduces New Repurposing Technology to Aid in an Environmentally Restorative Future | ManufacturingTomorrow". manufacturingtomorrow.com. Retrieved 2021-11-08.