non-woody fibrous material
Vegetable and synthetic materials used in the
manufacture of paper and board. Of the many such
materials, both organic and inorganic, the most
important today are cotton, esparto linen and
straw. For a number of reasons the types of fiber
which have proved commercially worthwhile are
somewhat limited, and have become even more so as
the size and productive capacity of papermaking
mills have increased. Among the qualifications
which satisfactory materials must possess are: 1)
sufficient fiber length to provide the desired
strength in the paper; 2) ready reducibility to
the fiber form, and separation from accompanying
impurities and ingredients which might be harmful
to the paper; 3) availability in very large
quantities and within a reasonable distance from
the mill; 4) not too great bulk per unit of fiber
produced; and 5) low cost per ton of fiber
produced. (324 )
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