Modelling Paper Structure and Paper-Press Interactions

We introduce a new mathematical model of paper structure and paper-press interactions. The model incorporates essential features needed to describe paper structure and its development, including fibre mechanics, stochastic fibre deposition and, most importantly, paper compression occurring during pressing, calendering and printing. The power of the mathematical model as a predictive tool is demonstrated by two specific examples related to paper structure development and print quality. The first example examines the effects of fibre famish on surface structures, specifically identifying causes of surface pore formation which affect ink and coating holdout. The second example investigates factors controlling the paper-plate contact during printing. We show that a combination of compressibility and surface roughness parameters is required to quantify the contact area.