What is Kraft Paper? Basic Introduction:
2021.06.15 – Kraft Paper Packaging
Sustainability is a hot-debated issue. It is for sure we must find a way leading to a sustainable future. In the printing industry, we opt for the convincing material – Kraft paper as our best solution.
What is Kraft Paper &
How Kraft Paper is Made?
What is kraft paper? Like all kinds of paper, kraft paper is made from wood, a renewable natural resource. Kraft paper is produced from the Kraft process where wood is turned into wood pulp. The structural components in wood are lignin and cellulose. Due to the fact that lignin doesn’t make a good paper, it must be separated from the cellulose. The cooking process involves chemicals, sodium sulfide for example, as the liquor to loosen the fibers in the cooked wood. Removing the lignin and leaving more cellulose to make kraft paper a stronger paper as a result.
Most people are confused about the question: is kraft paper eco-friendly? Kraft paper is considered a sustainable material due to its much eco-friendlier production process. Kraft paper is seldom extensively bleached, which decreases the paper’s strength. This also requires fewer bleaching chemicals involved throughout the whole production. What’s best, one of the major benefits of kraft pulping is that roughly 90% of the pulping chemicals can be recovered and reused in an economical manner. This makes the process more sustainable and generates the minimum environmental impact.
What Makes Kraft Paper Special?
After learning about what is kraft paper and know kraft paper is eco-friendly, we can talk about the advantages of kraft paper.
High tear-resistance:
Kraft paper is by far the strongest paper material. During the pulp production, lignin is removed, and a higher extent of cellulose is retained. Moreover, kraft paper treated with minimum chemicals reserves its durable characteristics. It results in higher tensile strength and it is less likely to tear.
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Lightweight:
Kraft paper is not only famous for high tear-resistance, it is also lightweight, beneficial to keep the shipping costs down.
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Nature-themed product packaging:
One of the characteristics of kraft paper is its natural-colored coarse texture. It makes kraft paper the perfect representative of the nature-themed product packaging.
With increasing demands for different colors of kraft paper, the bleaching extent is adjusted in the production process to bring out the natural kraft paper, creamy kraft paper, and other colors like black kraft paper. Light colors indicate the more bleaching is involved and thus the surface will turn out smoother. Generally, kraft paper is suggested to be printed with single-color so as to emphasize the natural texture of this special paper material.
However, the kraft paper color will differ from batch to batch due to the different material sources harvested during the different weathers.
The Uses of Kraft Paper
Kraft paper can be used in many product packaging, and composed of long-fibers, and is equipped with high strength. Consequently, it is recommended to use kraft paper for box packaging and display to provide the best protection. Kraft paper shows impurities and coarse texture, which is highly suitable for natural-themed product lines. With packaging made of kraft paper, the brand image can be tightly bonded with the brand spirit.
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