The interdependence of sheet structure and drainage

The properties which determine the quality and profitability of paper are largely determined in the forming section, but there are gaps in our understanding of formation. For example, while the influence of forming on two-sidedness and in-plane anisotropy is well documented; the nature of the dependence of physical and optical properties on formation is only partly understood. This paper investigates the build up of the fibrous structure and the effect of drainage on that structure. The author concludes that fundamental studies on sheet forming and sheet structure are vital for the development of paper as an information carrier in the coming decades.