Optical properties of paper Interactions of light and paper A paper is a complex structure consisting mainly of a fibre network, filler pigment particles and air. When light hits the surface of paper, Figure 1 shows that some incident light immediately reflects back from the surfaces of the fibres and pigments 1. The light
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Optical properties of paper
After reading this article you will..
- know that light and paper interact in four different ways, reflection, refraction, diffraction and absorption.
- know that gloss is a special case of the reflection of the light from the surface of the paper.
Content
Material testing and product properties
- Why test pulp and paper?
- Fibre properties
- Papermaking properties of pulp
- Fluff pulps
- Chemical analysis of pulps
- General physical properties of paper and board
- Optical properties of paper
- End-use properties of printing papers
- End-use properties of packaging papers and boards
- Tissue papers
- Permanent papers
- Reliability of results in physical testing of pulp and paper
- Quality control at the mill
- Standardisation in pulp and paper testing
Authors & references
Edited by:
Petteri Maijanen, ABB
Original author:
Juhani Vaarasalo
Based on: Vaarasalo J., Optical properties of paper (Chapter 8). In: Levlin, J-E. & Sjöderhelm, L. (ed), Pulp and paper testing (Book 17), Papermaking Science and Technology. Jyväskylä. 1999. Fapet Oy. pp. 163-181.
References:
- Pauler, N., Paper Optics, 2nd Edition, AB Lorentzen & Wettre, Kista, 2012, pp. 22 – 23.
- Hunter, R. S. and Harold, R. W., Ed., in The Measurement of Appearance, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1987.
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This page has been updated 22.03.2022
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