Cardboard

The cardboard is derived from the two words card and board. It means that the paper of material in a stiff form. Hence, cardboard refers to heavy paper with some thickness and durability.

Cardboards' common uses include tissue rolls, boxes, cereal boxes, packages foods, and drink beverages cartons. The cardboards also make various types of cards, such as invitation cards, business cards, scrapbooks, and postcards that require high durability and binding.

The natural color for all types of cardboard, paper, paperboard, cartons, etc., are brown colors. But, cardboards are also available in various colors.

The types of walls cardboard are shown below:

The cardboard is made by inserting a corrugated sheet of paper (curved lining paper) between the inner and outer paper line. It is shown below:

It is also known as Single wallboard.

The materials used in making cardboard determine the cost and quality of the cardboard. Let's discuss some of the essential points about cardboard manufacturing.

• The mixture of water and starch prevents the fresh cardboard from contaminating.
• The strength of the cardboard can be increased by adding the number of lines to the sheet.
• The partially recycled paper is more malleable than the non-recycled paper.
• The average manufacturing speed of cardboard is around 8000 boards per hour.

Recycling

Recycling refers to the task of converting raw materials into new materials. It is becoming a big part of our life to reduce the amount of waste. The recyclable cardboard can be used for domestic or industrial purposes. We can also use it to construct walls and ceils. The ceiling board has a center gypsum and an outer line of paper.

Let's discuss the process of recycling the cardboard.

It is listed below:

• The bundles of raw materials are sorted and shredded.
• The material is mixed with water.
• The cardboard is converted down in the form of waste, and foreign materials, such as metals and plastic are removed.
• The material further moves through several stages where it is dried.
• The dried material is pressed to get into the right consistency.
• Such material is stored where it can be fed to the papermaking machine when required.
• As it moves to the papermaking machine, it is again mixed with water.
• It is pressed to achieve the desired consistency.
• The chemicals are added to provide water-resistant ability to the material.
• The mixture is 90% water when it is transferred into the machine.
• The materials are fed to various rollers and machines to remove the water.
• The material is further converted into sheets. The number of layers of paper determines the thickness of the sheet.

Paperboard

Paperboard is thin as compared to cardboard. But, it is thick as compared to paper. It means that paperboard is a thick paper-based material. The advantages of paperboard over paper are foldability and resistance. It can be easily cut and folded. Hence, it is preferred as a packaging material. It is also used in high-quality printing, such as covers of books and magazines.

The lamination is also added to the paperboard or cardboard to increase the material's strength and stability.

The manufacturing process of paperboard

Here, we will discuss the manufacturing process of paperboard.

• The bark of the harvested trees is the material that is used for making paperboard.
• The bark of these trees is fed into the chipper.
• The chips are screened to remove the chips of unwanted sizes.
• The chips are washed and bleached, which is a multiple-stage process.
• The chips are refined to make the pulp.
• The produced pulp is white and clean as per the required standards.
• The water is added, and the pulp is passed for various screening tests followed by bleaching.
• The produced pulp is now ready to use.
• The inner layer of the pulps adds strength, while the outer layer of the chemical pulp provides a smooth surface for high-quality printing.
• It also adds strength property to the paperboard.
• The pulp passes through the machines or hard rolls that remove the water from the pulp.
• It shapes the layer of the paperboard.
• The required thickness is given by adding the number of layers.
• The steam-heated machines dry the layer without any loss of paperboard thickness.
• The paperboard is pressed between the steel rolls to provide strength and smoothness to the paperboard.
• The sheets are cut into various sizes as per the customer requirements.

Cardboard vs. Paper

Paper and cardboard are both lightweight materials. But, the paper lacks in stiffness, thickness, and durability. The source of extraction is paper for both the materials. But, the material used is different. Let's discuss some differences between paper and cardboard. It will help us to analyze and differentiate between both items.

Cardboard vs. Paperboard

The paper is thin as compared to the paperboard. So, let's discuss some differences between paperboard and cardboard.

Cardboard box

A cardboard box is the folded form of the cardboard that is used to transport goods. The folded cardboard appears in the shape of a box. The dimension of the box depends on the requirements. The cardboard material is preferred for making boxes because it can be recycled.

The term cardboard can often be confused with other terms like fiberboard, paperboard, etc. All these terms vary in the thickness of the sheet. The differences between cardboard, paper, and paperboard are already discussed above.

The cardboard boxes are created to meet specific requirements like stock, vibrations, moisture, strength, compression, etc. It is due to the weight of the product or material that it needs to carry. The increasing E-commerce business has increased the demand and designs of cardboard boxes.

The weight of the material or product inside the cardboard box is limited to a few kilograms or pounds. The thickness of the cardboard boxes depends on the limitation of the cutting machinery. Due to such restrictions, the weight a box can carry is already specified to prevent the cardboard box from collapsing.

Opening and closing of Cardboard boxes

The cardboard boxes are generally closed with the help of cello tapes. The tapes' thickness depends on the size and weight of the box and the product inside it.

It can be opened with the help of cutters or tear tapes.

The folding machines are used in the industries to fold the cardboard. The folded cardboard forms a cardboard box.

Corrugated Fiberboard

It is also one of the materials used for making cardboard boxes. It is made of one or two layers of linerboards. It is also created from the paperboard.

Various parameters define the quality of the corrugated board. It includes impact resistance, bending resistance, box compression strength, moisture content, etc. The raw material used in making corrugated board is paper.

Carton

Cartons refer to a box that is made of paperboard or corrugated cardboard. A carton is generally used as a packaging material for various types of products, such as hardware, food, etc.

Types of cartons

There are various types of cartons, such as egg cartons, folding cartons, liquid packs, etc.

Egg Cartons

The egg cartons are used to store and transport eggs. The egg cartons are pulp made of recycled newspaper molded in the shape of the egg carton. Today, expanded polystyrene is also used to make egg cartons.

Folding cartons

Folding cartons are flat cartons that can be further folded easily. These types of cartons are manufactured in the form of a flat sheet with pieces. Such pieces are folded to form a carton. Sometimes, the folding cartons are assembled by the packages. There are some machines specifically designed to load and fold the cartons.

Liquid packs

Liquid packs are used to store juices, milk, etc. It is sometimes made of multiple layers, including a laminated sheet, to prevent the liquid inside it. It also allows easy transportation of such fluids.

Applications of cardboard

The applications of cardboard are listed below:

• Courier packages
  Various E-commerce retailers send packages in the cardboard box to various places across the globe.
• Floor protection
  The big cardboard sheets are used on the floor to prevent it from any scratches when ladders are used. The cardboards are also used to protect the floor if any hammer or heavy material accidently falls.
• Knife sheath
  It refers to the packaging of the knives. The cardboard is used to protect the blade and our fingers from the sharp edge of a knife.
• Weed control
  The cardboard is an excellent method to control the growth of the grass. When used over the grass, it reduces the growth of unwanted grass. The particular area can be used as a garden.
  It is also used to trap the moisture in the soil. This technique is commonly known as sheet mulching.
• Storing materials
  The cardboard boxes can be used to store materials, clothes, etc. It prevents the materials from dust.
• Furniture
  Cardboard furniture is designed with the help of heavy paperboard and fiber tubes. The idea of using cardboard as a furniture material is popularly increasing. It is due to the recycled nature of the cardboard. The cardboard also comes in various colors and can be printed with multiple designs.
  
• Creative crafts
  The cardboard is also used in schools, hobbyists, colleges, etc., to make projects or craft items.
• Repairing a roof
  The sheets of cardboard or cardboard boxes can be used to cover the roofs. It protects from sunlight, dust, etc. We can also cover the cardboard with a plastic bag, which will act as a rain protection material on the roof.
• Storage
  The cardboard is used to store and carry various materials, products, and devices, such as electronic devices. The strength and stability of the cardboard help these devices from any external damage. The thermocol sheets inside the cardboard box prevent the electronic devices from cracking.