What is Cardboard Made of and it’s Manufacturing Process

Cardboard is a paper-based material, made of a kind of pulp. It is one of the most demanded shipping and packaging stock. It has a very sturdy and durable nature in general, in addition to the environmental benefits. It saves the products from external damage during shipment and storage. Knowing about what is cardboard made of can help you get a deeper understanding of the material. Hence getting a better idea of its reusability and recycling. Recycling is very much energy and pocket-friendly as compared to making a new material from scratch.

What is Cardboard Made of - Ingredients and Raw Material

Let's start with the basic materials of what is cardboard made of. It is a modified form of wood pulp converted into paper fibers. These fibers are obtained using either fresh wood or recycled paper. They are then processed further to form a layered structure. This is essentially what is cardboard made of to make it lightweight, rigid, and durable.

What is Cardboard Made of - The Manufacturing Process?

Now that we know about the raw materials used for what is cardboard made of. Let's talk in-depth about its manufacturing process.

• Obtaining Wood Pulp

The first step is what is cardboard boxes made of is to obtain wood pulp. The process is called Pulping. Pulping is a way to extract fibers from wood to produce paper materials. First off, The trees are cut into small pieces to make wood chips. The chips are then properly cleaned to make them suitable for paper production. They are then broken down into a liquid pulp slurry for further processing.

• Processing the Wood Pulp

The second step in what is cardboard made of is to process the wood pulp to obtain paper. The pulp is then fed into a special machine called Fourdrinier. It has moving mesh belts and a suction device to squeeze the pulp through rollers to drain water. Then the pulp goes through a few more steps to remove any remaining water before making it into sheets. The sheets go through a few more belts and presses for the material to completely dry and flatten. They are properly dried and smoothened according to the required thickness.

• Assembling the Cardboard

There are two kinds of basic paper layers required for cardboard, Kraft and Test paper. They are both produced using wood pulp. The process to obtain Kraft is called the sulfate process. Here is how the process works.

• Sulfate Process

In old times, wood chips were mixed with a hot mixture of sodium sulfide and sodium hydroxide. Then the mixture will go through a few more chemical and mechanical steps to produce paper. The pulp is dried, pressed, and rolled through to get a paper consistency. This method is still used in paper manufacturing and pulp mills today.

• Test Paper

Another material required for what is cardboard made of is called test paper. It is made with hardwood tree pulp or recycled materials, making it cheaper and a bit rough to touch. The cardboard usually consists of one layer of Kraft and another layer of test paper. Usually, kraft is on the outer side because it has a smoother finish and is easy to print on.

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What is Cardboard Made of - Corrugated Cardboard?

A corrugated cardboard has the same raw materials as a simple cardboard. As we know now, cardboard is made of layers of paper. A layer of it is added on the outer side, and one layer on the inner side. They are supported by a wavy sheet in the middle called a flute. The special machines that make the cardboard into flutes are called Corrugators. Giving the type of material it's name Corrugated cardboard.

Cardboard Flute

It is a wavy paper material and is used according to the thickness and support it is going to provide. It comes in different sizes and types.

Types of Flutes

Different flute sizes give different support levels and functionality to the cardboard. Here are the types of flutes available and their names.

• A Flute

It is about 1/4 inches, thickest of all flutes. Making it suitable for fragile items. They have about 36 flutes per foot.

• B Flute

It has a middle range of thickness, lesser than A flute. It is used for food or retail items. They have about 49 flutes per foot.

• C Flute

It is larger than the B flute but can be crushed more easily. They are good for corrugated boxes. They have about 41 flutes per foot.

• E Flute

It is a fine flute, used for corrugated cartons. They are great for die-cut boxes. They have about 90 flutes per foot.

• F Flute

It is the finest flute available, used for corrugated cartons. They have about 128 flutes per foot. Each of the flutes provides a unique purpose. They are used according to the weight and fragility of the item being packed. They are also chosen depending on the storage and printing needs. Double-wall and triple-wall corrugated cardboard are also used in the industry. They are a combination of B and C flutes, suitable for heavy-duty products.

What is Cardboard Made of - Eco-friendly Nature?

Cardboard is made by processing natural materials as well as recycled stocks. It can be made by using recycled paper or trees. Making it a highly eco-friendly option for packaging. It is easier to biodegrade, reuse, and recycle in the future. It helps in cutting costs as well because recycling is cheaper as compared to processing new raw materials.

Conclusion

Now you know all about what is cardboard made of and its different types available. There are many companies using this as their base packaging material. You can customize them according to your size and printing needs. It is good for the environment and for the budget as well. You can contact us at Boxit Packages to get your custom cardboard packaging boxes. We offer free shipping, free design assistance, and very reasonable rates.

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