What gives the pages of a book their resilience or a magazine its lustrous finish? The answer is not magic — it’s paper starch. This plant-based adhesive that is sourced from maize, rice, potato, and tapioca, amongst many other raw materials is the lesser known star in the papermaking process, responsible for binding fibres, enhancing print quality, and adding strength. Without paper starch, the products we use daily — books, magazines, packaging — would lose much of their charm. Let’s take a quick peek and see how this wonder ingredient transforms simple pulp into quality paper and is revolutionising the packaging and paper industry.
Starch plays a crucial role in enhancing the printability and writing properties of paper. It is introduced at multiple stages during the paper production process:
- Starch or modified starch is added while the paper is still a pulp. This helps to bind the fibres together, improving the strength and structure of the final paper.
- As the paper passes through the drying rollers, starch is applied to improve the surface quality and stiffness, which enhances the paper’s printability.
- In the final stages, starch is used as a coating agent to meet specific requirements, such as improving surface smoothness, ink adhesion, and the overall feel of the paper, making it suitable for various printing needs.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway of using starch in the paper-making process is that it can contribute positively to environmental sustainability in several ways. Starch, a natural polymer derived from plants like maize/corn, potatoes, and wheat, is often used as a paper additive to improve strength, surface quality, and printability. Following are some features that makes starch an environmentally friendly option:
1. Biodegradability:
- Natural Origin: Starch is biodegradable and renewable, unlike synthetic chemicals used in paper production. This reduces the long-term environmental impact since it decomposes naturally without leaving harmful residues.
- Less Toxic Waste: As a biodegradable material, starch reduces the amount of harmful chemicals entering water during paper manufacturing. This helps lower water pollution.
- Biodegradability: Starch can replace or reduce the need for petroleum-based synthetic additives like Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) or other synthetic sizing agents, which may generate more pollution during production and disposal.
2. Improved Paper Recyclability:
- Papers treated with starch are easier to recycle because the starch helps bind fibres, making the paper stronger and easier to repulp. This improves the overall quality of recycled fibres, extending their lifecycle and reducing the demand for virgin fibres.
3. Sustainable Source:
- Starch comes from agricultural sources, so the sustainability of its use also depends on how the crops are cultivated. If grown using sustainable agricultural practices, the environmental footprint of starch can be minimised.
Overall, using Paper starch in the paper-making process offers various environmental sustainability benefits, such as reduced dependability on synthetic chemicals, enhanced recyclability, and better paper performance. Sustainable sourcing of raw material and efficient use of starch can help ensure it is a beneficial component of more eco-friendly paper production.
Amongst the scores of Starch manufacturers in India, Bluecraft Agro is the largest producer and supplier of high quality starch and modified starches for the paper & board industry, that uses sustainable practices to source its raw material with the promise of keeping the well being of mother nature as a top priority.