Paperboard Definition

Paperboard, within the commercial papermaking industry, is simply the term used to describe a thick sheet of paper. Because of this simple definition, there is some confusion in the industry as to what qualifies as paperboard. Thickness (caliper) and bulk are significant aspects in paperboard manufacture, as the end product must be able to withstand the bending forces of packaging, load carrying, shipping etc., while still maintaining their shape. Consequently, these paperboard products are usually comprised of two or more plies to provide the required stiffness. Plies is the term used to describe layers of paper.

Within the industry, paperboard is referred to by weight ( (16 ounces) pounds per square foot or grams per square metre), by thickness (by thousandths of an inch, or 'points' - i.e. 0.009" thick paperboard is also know as 9-point) or by name (foodboard, corrugating medium, boxboard etc.).

Categories

Paperboard is a generic term, mainly associated with boxboard (multiply board), but can also apply to corrugated board.

Corrugated board comprises two main classifications: linerboard and corrugating medium, used almost entirely in the manufacture of shipping cases. Linerboard, which is hard, strong and firm is manufactured in two forms: kraft liner (produced from kraft pulp) and recycled liner (made from recycled fibres). Flutin is the wave-like material used as the middle ply in corrugated shipping cases. The combination of linerboard on the outside and flutin in the middle results in a light and strong finished product, known as corrugated medium.

Boxboard may be uniform in substance and quality throughout, or it may emerge from the mill in a single sheet composed of layers made from different types of pulp. Boxboard is of three types: folding, set-up and miscellaneous boxboard.

Folding boxboard is made into products such as detergent boxes and milk or juice containers. For containers that willl carry products to be ingested, other processes may be required such as the addition of aluminium foil to block out light and oxygen, in order to keep the contents fresh.

Set up boxboard is used when a more rigid container is required , for example a jewellery presentation box.

Other issues and Regulations Employment in Europe

The industry provides direct employment for around 250,000 people, and indirect employment - through the paper and forest cluster - for a total of 3.5 million people.

The European pulp and paper industry is a vital part of the paper and forest economic cluster that generates an annual turnover of more than EUR 400 billion.

CEPI member countries produce in excess of 90 million tonnes of paper and board each year. The industry is made up of more than 1,260 pulp and paper mills.

See also: www.paperonline.org

Regulations and guidelines for the industry

The IPPC Directive (96/61/EC) is being introduced across Europe to improve environmental protection standards. IPPC stands for Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control. In essence, the IPPC Directive is about minimising pollution from various sources throughout the European Union.

The Directive requires integrated permits to be obtained from various industry sectors including pulp and paper. "Integrated" means that the permits must take into account the whole environmental performance of the plant, i.e. emissions to air, water and land, generation of waste, use of raw materials, energy efficiency, noise, prevention of accidents, risk management, etc.

Together with the IPPC, something called Best Available Techniques (BAT) have been introduced to help give an idea of how industries can improve. In environmental protection law, BAT means the most effective and advanced techniques that can be practically adopted to prevent harmful emissions and other environmental impacts, or reduce them to acceptable limits.

By May 2004 all 25 Member States had fulfilled this basic obligation. In point of fact, in the UK the paper industry was one of the first industrial sectors in the UK to adopt the IPPC.