 SUBJECT: The Right Chemistry |
| The "Write" Chemicals |
Paper towels, newspaper, writing paper — all these papers have different
characteristics that make them useful for different purposes. How
does that happen? Fiber from different types of trees is used to make different kinds of paper products. But chemicals added during the papermaking process give papers many of their distinct properties. Try writing with a marking pen on a newspaper. Now try writing on a glossy magazine. Finally, write something on notebook paper. What happened to the ink? On the newspaper, it may spread and make your writing blurry. On the glossy magazine, the ink probably didn’t even stay on the paper — it rubbed right off. On the notebook paper, your letters were sharp, and the ink stayed on the paper. A chemical called size which is added to the paper, makes the difference. Some newsprint has no size added, so the paper may absorb the ink like a sponge absorbs water. That’s why it may spread. A glossy magazine is coated with a chemical that repels water, just like wax on a car, so the paper doesn’t absorb the ink from your pen at all. The paper in your notebook has a chemical coating that allows the paper to absorb enough ink so it doesn’t wipe right off. It also keeps enough of the ink on the surface of the paper so that it doesn’t bleed, and the letters stay sharp and clear. |
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