This glossary explains specialized papermaking terminology within Forest Products, Pulp, Paper & Packaging. It helps executives, mill leaders, engineers, suppliers, and advisors interpret the technical, quality, regulatory, sustainability, and performance language central to the Paper, Tissue & Towel Practice.
A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
| A | |
| AfH | Away-from-Home: The tissue market serving workplaces, hospitality, healthcare, education, food service, and other institutional settings. Its product formats, dispensing systems, sales channels, and demand patterns differ from household tissue. |
| AF&PA | American Forest & Paper Association: A United States trade association representing pulp, paper, tissue, packaging, and wood-products manufacturers on policy, safety, sustainability, recycling, and industry statistics. |
| AH | At-Home: The consumer tissue segment comprising products purchased primarily for household use, including bathroom tissue, facial tissue, paper towels, and napkins. |
| AKD | Alkyl Ketene Dimer: A synthetic internal sizing agent that reduces liquid penetration into paper under neutral or alkaline papermaking conditions. Dosage and curing affect sizing efficiency, deposits, and machine runnability. |
| ANSI | American National Standards Institute: The organization that coordinates voluntary consensus standards in the United States, including standards relevant to machinery safety, testing, electrical systems, and workplace practices in mills. |
| AOX | Adsorbable Organic Halides: A wastewater parameter measuring halogen-containing organic compounds that adsorb onto activated carbon. It is used to monitor effluent from facilities handling bleached fiber or halogenated process chemicals. |
| APAM | Anionic Polyacrylamide: A water-soluble polymer used in retention, drainage, formation, wastewater treatment, and sludge dewatering programs. Its charge and molecular weight determine how it interacts with furnish components and other additives. |
| ASA | Alkenyl Succinic Anhydride: A reactive internal sizing agent used to control water absorption in paper made under neutral or alkaline conditions. Proper emulsification and addition-point control are important because the material hydrolyzes rapidly in water. |
| ASME | American Society of Mechanical Engineers: A standards organization whose codes govern boilers, pressure vessels, piping, and mechanical equipment. Its requirements are especially important for steam systems, pressure rolls, and Yankee dryers. |
| ASTM | ASTM International: A standards organization that publishes test methods and specifications used for paper properties, raw materials, chemicals, environmental measurements, and industrial equipment. |
| ATEX | Atmosphères Explosibles: The European framework for equipment and workplaces exposed to potentially explosive atmospheres. It is relevant where tissue dust, paper dust, gas, or combustible vapors can create ignition and explosion hazards. |
| B | |
| BAT | Best Available Techniques: The most effective economically and technically viable methods for preventing or reducing industrial emissions. European environmental permits for paper and tissue mills use these techniques as a central benchmark. |
| BAT-AEL | Best Available Techniques–Associated Emission Level: An emissions range achievable under normal operating conditions when specified best available techniques are applied. Regulators use these ranges when establishing permit conditions for covered installations. |
| BOD | Biochemical Oxygen Demand: A measure of the oxygen microorganisms consume while degrading biodegradable material in water. It is a primary indicator of wastewater-treatment load and treated-effluent performance. |
| BPVC | Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code: A widely adopted engineering code governing the design, fabrication, inspection, and repair of boilers and pressure vessels. It supports safe management of steam-generating equipment and Yankee dryers. |
| BREF | Best Available Techniques Reference Document: A European technical document describing industrial processes, emissions, consumption levels, and emission-control techniques. The pulp, paper, and board document informs environmental permitting and compliance assessments. |
| BW | Basis Weight: The mass of paper per specified unit area, commonly expressed in grams per square metre or pounds per designated ream. It is a fundamental product specification and a major driver of fiber use and production cost. |
| C | |
| C1S | Coated One Side: Paper manufactured with a functional or print coating on one surface only. The designation is used when the two sides require different appearance, printability, absorbency, or converting behavior. |
| C2S | Coated Two Sides: Paper coated on both surfaces to provide controlled smoothness, brightness, gloss, ink holdout, or other functional properties. |
| CAA | Clean Air Act: The principal United States law regulating air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Mills may be subject to requirements covering boilers, coating operations, hazardous pollutants, particulate matter, and permitting. |
| CD | Cross Direction: The direction across the width of a paper or tissue web, perpendicular to machine travel. Weight, moisture, caliper, strength, and formation profiles are routinely monitored and controlled in this direction. |
| CDT | Cross-Direction Tensile: The tensile strength measured across the web. It is important for sheet integrity, converting performance, dimensional stability, and the balance between machine-direction and cross-direction properties. |
| Cepi | Confederation of European Paper Industries: The European trade association representing pulp and paper producers on energy, climate, circularity, product policy, competitiveness, and regulatory matters. |
| CF | Crescent Former: A tissue-forming configuration in which the sheet forms between a fabric and felt before transfer toward the Yankee dryer. It is widely used for high-speed production of conventional dry-creped tissue. |
| CFS | Coated Freesheet: A coated printing-paper grade made predominantly from chemical pulp with little or no mechanical pulp. It is valued for brightness, smoothness, print quality, and controlled surface properties. |
| CHP | Combined Heat and Power: The simultaneous production of electricity and useful thermal energy from one fuel source. Mills use cogeneration to improve energy efficiency and supply process steam reliably. |
| CIE | Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage: The International Commission on Illumination establishes colorimetric systems, illuminants, and measurement conventions. Its methods underpin paper shade, whiteness, brightness, and color-difference specifications. |
| CIP | Cleaning-in-Place: Automated cleaning of process equipment, piping, tanks, or chemical systems without major disassembly. Effective cycles control deposits, microbiological growth, contamination, and downtime. |
| CLP | Classification, Labelling and Packaging: The European Union framework for classifying chemical hazards and communicating them through labels and packaging. It affects process chemicals, maintenance materials, supplier documentation, and worker protection. |
| CMC | Carboxymethyl Cellulose: A water-soluble cellulose derivative used as a coating rheology modifier, binder, strength aid, film former, and surface-treatment additive. |
| CO2e | Carbon Dioxide Equivalent: A common unit that expresses the climate impact of different greenhouse gases using their relative warming effects. It allows energy, fuel, purchased electricity, and supply-chain emissions to be aggregated. |
| CoC | Chain of Custody: A documented system for tracing certified or controlled forest-based material through purchasing, production, inventory, and sales. Certification supports credible sourcing and product claims. |
| COD | Chemical Oxygen Demand: A measure of the oxygen equivalent required to chemically oxidize substances in water. It provides a rapid indication of wastewater organic load and treatment performance. |
| COF | Coefficient of Friction: The ratio used to characterize resistance between contacting surfaces. Paper surface friction affects web handling, sheet feeding, stacking, winding, dispensing, and downstream processing. |
| CPAM | Cationic Polyacrylamide: A high-molecular-weight polymer used for retention, drainage, strength, and wastewater treatment. Performance depends on furnish charge, shear conditions, dosage, and addition sequence. |
| CSF | Canadian Standard Freeness: A standardized drainage test used to indicate how readily a fiber suspension releases water. Mills use it to monitor furnish characteristics and changes caused by refining. |
| CV | Coefficient of Variation: A normalized measure of variability calculated as standard deviation divided by the mean. It helps compare the uniformity of basis weight, moisture, caliper, strength, and other properties across products or operating periods. |
| CVC | Controlled Variable Crown: A roll technology that adjusts the roll crown or loading profile to control nip pressure across machine width. It is used to improve caliper, smoothness, moisture, and reel-building uniformity. |
| CWA | Clean Water Act: The primary United States law regulating pollutant discharges to surface waters and establishing wastewater permitting requirements. It directly affects mill effluent treatment, monitoring, and reporting. |
| CWF | Coated Woodfree: A coated paper grade made mainly from chemical pulp rather than mechanical pulp. The term is widely used outside North America for high-quality publication and commercial printing papers. |
| CWP | Conventional Wet Pressing: A tissue-making process that removes substantial water mechanically before final drying on a Yankee cylinder. It generally uses less thermal energy than through-air drying but creates a different bulk and absorbency profile. |
| CWT | Hundredweight: A commercial weight unit equal to 100 pounds in the United States. Paper prices, freight rates, and conversion costs may be quoted on this basis. |
| D | |
| DAF | Dissolved Air Flotation: A water-treatment process that uses fine air bubbles to float suspended solids, fibers, fillers, fats, and biological material for removal. It is used in process-water clarification and wastewater treatment. |
| DCS | Distributed Control System: An integrated automation platform that monitors and controls process variables across stock preparation, the paper or tissue machine, drying, utilities, and chemical systems. |
| DCT | Dry Crepe Technology: A tissue process in which the dried sheet is removed from a Yankee dryer by a creping blade. Creping develops stretch, softness, bulk, and the surface structure required by many tissue grades. |
| DDA | Dynamic Drainage Analyzer: A laboratory instrument used to assess drainage, retention, and dewatering behavior under controlled shear and vacuum conditions. It supports furnish and wet-end chemical optimization. |
| DHA | Dust Hazard Analysis: A systematic evaluation of combustible-dust hazards, ignition sources, safeguards, and required risk reductions. Tissue dust and paper dust make this analysis important in production, dust collection, and handling areas. |
| DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung: The German Institute for Standardization publishes technical standards used in paper testing, machinery, safety, dimensions, and environmental management. |
| DSEAR | Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations: United Kingdom regulations requiring employers to control fire and explosion risks from dangerous substances. They are relevant to combustible dust, fuels, gases, solvents, and process chemicals. |
| E | |
| ELG | Effluent Limitations Guidelines: United States national standards for industrial wastewater discharges based on available treatment technologies. The applicable pulp, paper, and paperboard categories inform discharge limits and permits. |
| EMC | Equilibrium Moisture Content: The moisture level at which paper neither gains nor loses water under specified temperature and humidity conditions. It affects dimensional stability, curl, strength, static, and converting behavior. |
| EN | European Standard: A standard adopted by European standardization bodies and implemented nationally by member countries. These standards cover paper and tissue testing, machinery safety, environmental measurements, and product requirements. |
| ENP | Extended Nip Press: A pressing configuration that lengthens the time a wet web remains under pressure compared with a conventional roll nip. Increased dewatering can raise dryness entering the dryer section and reduce steam demand. |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency: The United States federal agency responsible for environmental regulation and enforcement. Its rules affect mill air emissions, wastewater, waste, chemicals, spill prevention, and public reporting. |
| EPCRA | Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act: A United States law requiring qualifying facilities to support emergency planning and report certain hazardous chemicals and releases. Mills use chemical inventories and production data to determine obligations. |
| EPD | Environmental Product Declaration: A standardized, independently verified document reporting a product’s environmental impacts using life-cycle assessment rules. Customers may use it to compare sourcing and carbon attributes of paper products. |
| ESP | Electrostatic Precipitator: Air-pollution-control equipment that electrically charges and collects particulate matter from exhaust gas. Mills commonly use it on boilers and other combustion sources. |
| ETS | European Tissue Symposium: A European tissue-industry association addressing product safety, sustainability, resource efficiency, consumer information, and regulatory topics. |
| EUDR | European Union Deforestation Regulation: A regulation requiring due diligence for covered commodities and products placed on or exported from the European Union market. Paper suppliers need traceability and sourcing data to demonstrate that relevant wood-based material meets its requirements. |
| EU ETS | European Union Emissions Trading System: A cap-and-trade program covering greenhouse-gas emissions from qualifying industrial installations. Energy-intensive mills manage allowance exposure alongside fuel, electricity, efficiency, and decarbonization decisions. |
| EUTR | European Union Timber Regulation: The predecessor timber-due-diligence framework intended to prevent illegally harvested timber and derived products from entering the European market. Its records and control concepts remain relevant during the transition to newer deforestation rules. |
| F | |
| FPAR | First-Pass Ash Retention: The percentage of mineral filler entering the headbox that remains in the sheet after the forming section on its first pass. It helps diagnose wet-end stability, filler efficiency, drainage, and white-water loading. |
| FPM | Feet per Minute: A linear-speed unit used in North American mills for machine, reel, and web speeds. It is a basic operating and capacity parameter. |
| FPR | First-Pass Retention: The percentage of total suspended material delivered to the forming section that remains in the sheet on its first pass. Stable retention supports formation, chemical efficiency, cleanliness, and white-water consistency. |
| FSC | Forest Stewardship Council: An international certification system for responsible forest management and traceable forest-based materials. Certification enables recognized sourcing claims for qualifying paper and tissue products. |
| FWA | Fluorescent Whitening Agent: A chemical additive that absorbs ultraviolet light and re-emits visible blue light, increasing perceived whiteness and brightness. Its performance depends on furnish, water chemistry, dosage, and measurement illuminant. |
| G | |
| GCC | Ground Calcium Carbonate: A mineral pigment produced by grinding natural limestone or marble. It is used as a filler and coating pigment to influence opacity, brightness, smoothness, printability, and cost. |
| GE | General Electric Brightness: A legacy directional blue-light reflectance measurement widely encountered in North American paper specifications. Results depend on instrument geometry and should not be treated as interchangeable with every other brightness method. |
| GHG | Greenhouse Gas: A gas that contributes to atmospheric warming, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Mills track emissions from fuels, purchased energy, transport, and value-chain activities. |
| GMT | Geometric Mean Tensile: A combined tissue-strength measure calculated from machine-direction and cross-direction tensile results. It provides a balanced indicator when directional strengths differ substantially. |
| GPAM | Glyoxalated Polyacrylamide: A strength resin used to improve dry strength and temporary wet strength in paper and tissue. It is selected where rapid repulpability or limited wet-strength persistence is desirable. |
| GSM | Grams per Square Metre: The metric expression of paper or tissue mass per unit area. It is used for product specification, process control, yield analysis, and material-cost calculations. |
| H | |
| HAP | Hazardous Air Pollutant: A pollutant subject to United States federal controls because of potential health or environmental effects. Relevant mill sources can include combustion, coating, chemical handling, and certain process vents. |
| HSE | Health and Safety Executive: The United Kingdom regulator responsible for workplace health and safety. Its requirements and guidance affect machinery, pressure systems, combustible dust, hazardous substances, and maintenance practices. |
| I | |
| ICC | International Color Consortium: An organization that develops color-management specifications used across printing workflows. Paper shade, optical brighteners, gloss, and surface properties can influence color reproduction under these workflows. |
| IED | Industrial Emissions Directive: The European Union framework for controlling pollution from major industrial installations. It integrates permitting requirements for air, water, waste, energy efficiency, and best available techniques. |
| IR | Infrared: Electromagnetic radiation used in noncontact moisture measurement, coating analysis, and supplemental drying. Infrared systems can support profile control and faster response to sheet-property changes. |
| ISO | International Organization for Standardization: The global standards body responsible for widely used management and product-test standards. The 12625 series is particularly important for tissue and tissue-product testing. |
| L | |
| LCA | Life Cycle Assessment: A structured method for evaluating environmental impacts from raw-material acquisition through production, distribution, use, and end of life. It supports product declarations, sourcing choices, and decarbonization priorities. |
| LEL | Lower Explosive Limit: The minimum concentration of a flammable gas or vapor in air that can propagate combustion. Gas detection and ventilation controls use this threshold to manage fire and explosion risk. |
| LWC | Lightweight Coated: A low-basis-weight coated publication paper designed to balance print quality, opacity, runnability, and mailing or distribution weight. |
| M | |
| MACT | Maximum Achievable Control Technology: United States emissions standards for major sources of hazardous air pollutants, based on the performance of leading controls and practices. Applicable requirements can affect boilers, process vents, and coating operations. |
| MAWP | Maximum Allowable Working Pressure: The highest pressure permitted for a pressure vessel or system at a specified temperature under its governing design code. It is a critical limit for Yankee dryers, boilers, and steam equipment. |
| MBR | Membrane Bioreactor: A wastewater-treatment process combining biological treatment with membrane separation. It can produce high-quality effluent while reducing the footprint required for secondary clarification. |
| MC | Moisture Content: The quantity of water in paper, tissue, furnish, or other material, expressed on a defined wet or dry basis. It affects weight, strength, dimensional stability, drying energy, and saleable production. |
| MD | Machine Direction: The direction in which the web travels through the paper or tissue machine. Fiber orientation makes many strength, stiffness, stretch, and dimensional properties direction-dependent. |
| MDT | Machine-Direction Tensile: The tensile strength measured parallel to web travel. It is used to assess runnability, product durability, and directional strength balance. |
| MEC | Minimum Explosible Concentration: The lowest airborne concentration of combustible dust capable of propagating an explosion under specified test conditions. It informs dust-control, housekeeping, and explosion-protection design. |
| MF | Machine Finished: Paper that receives its principal surface finish from machine calendering during production rather than from a separate supercalendering operation. |
| MFC | Machine-Finished Coated: Coated paper finished on the paper machine without separate offline supercalendering. The grade balances production efficiency with required smoothness, gloss, and printability. |
| MFC | Microfibrillated Cellulose: A highly fibrillated cellulose material used to modify strength, barrier performance, rheology, retention, and surface properties. Its high surface area requires careful dispersion and water-management planning. |
| MG | Machine Glazed: Paper dried against a polished cylinder to create a smooth, glossy surface on one side while retaining a different texture on the reverse side. |
| MIE | Minimum Ignition Energy: The lowest spark energy capable of igniting a dispersed combustible-dust cloud under defined test conditions. It helps determine sensitivity to static discharge and other ignition sources. |
| MIT | Minimum Ignition Temperature: The lowest tested temperature at which a combustible material ignites as a dust cloud or layer under specified conditions. The value informs equipment temperature limits and fire-prevention controls. |
| MPM | Metres per Minute: The metric unit commonly used for paper-machine, tissue-machine, reel, and web speeds. It is a core input to capacity and operating-performance calculations. |
| MWC | Medium-Weight Coated: A coated publication-paper category heavier than lightweight coated grades. It is selected where print quality, opacity, stiffness, and page feel justify additional basis weight. |
| N | |
| NBIC | National Board Inspection Code: A code covering inspection, repair, and alteration of boilers, pressure vessels, and pressure-retaining items. It is relevant to ongoing integrity management of Yankee dryers and mill steam systems. |
| NDT | Nondestructive Testing: Inspection methods that detect flaws or degradation without damaging the component being examined. Techniques are used on Yankee shells, pressure vessels, rolls, welds, piping, and structural equipment. |
| NESHAP | National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: United States federal standards limiting hazardous air pollutants from designated source categories. Compliance may require specified controls, work practices, monitoring, testing, and recordkeeping. |
| NFPA | National Fire Protection Association: A standards organization publishing widely adopted fire, electrical, combustible-dust, and life-safety codes. Its standards influence dust collection, explosion protection, utilities, and emergency planning. |
| NIR | Near-Infrared: A spectral measurement technology used to estimate moisture and certain coating or composition properties without contacting the moving web. It supports online quality control and process adjustment. |
| NPDES | National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System: The United States permitting program governing point-source discharges to waters. Mill permits establish effluent limits, monitoring frequencies, reporting duties, and operating conditions. |
| NSPS | New Source Performance Standards: United States air-emission standards for certain newly constructed, modified, or reconstructed sources. Mill projects must assess whether new boilers, combustion equipment, or process changes trigger requirements. |
| O | |
| OBA | Optical Brightening Agent: A fluorescent additive that increases perceived whiteness by converting ultraviolet radiation into visible blue light. It is used in furnish, size press, and coating applications. |
| OD | Oven-Dry: A reference condition in which moisture has been removed by a prescribed drying method. It provides a consistent basis for fiber, solids, yield, and moisture calculations. |
| OSHA | Occupational Safety and Health Administration: The United States agency that sets and enforces workplace safety and health requirements. Mill obligations cover machine guarding, hazardous energy, chemicals, noise, confined spaces, dust, and process hazards. |
| P | |
| P&W | Printing and Writing Papers: The broad market category encompassing uncoated and coated papers used for books, offices, commercial printing, publications, and communication applications. |
| PAE | Polyamidoamine-Epichlorohydrin: A thermosetting wet-strength resin used in tissue, towel, and paper grades that must retain strength when wet. Dosage affects wet strength, repulpability, charge balance, and regulatory compliance. |
| PAM | Polyacrylamide: A family of polymers used for retention, drainage, strength, clarification, and sludge dewatering. Charge type, molecular weight, shear exposure, and addition point determine performance. |
| PAPTAC | Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada: A technical association supporting knowledge exchange, standard methods, professional development, and operational improvement across Canadian pulp and paper operations. |
| PCC | Precipitated Calcium Carbonate: A manufactured mineral pigment whose particle shape and size can be engineered for specific paper properties. It is used to improve brightness, opacity, bulk, smoothness, and print performance. |
| PCD | Particle Charge Detector: An instrument used to evaluate the charge demand of process water, furnish, or chemical systems. Charge measurements support coagulant, fixative, retention-aid, and deposit-control programs. |
| PCR | Post-Consumer Recycled: Material recovered after completing its intended use by consumers or institutions. Verified content is important for recycled-content claims, customer specifications, sourcing, and environmental reporting. |
| PED | Pressure Equipment Directive: The European Union framework establishing essential safety requirements for pressure equipment and assemblies. It applies to qualifying boilers, vessels, steam systems, and pressure-containing machine components. |
| PEFC | Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification: An international system endorsing national forest-certification schemes and supporting chain-of-custody certification. It enables traceable responsible-sourcing claims for forest-based products. |
| PFAS | Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: A large group of persistent fluorinated chemicals subject to increasing product, water, waste, and reporting controls. Mills assess intentional uses, incoming materials, process-water pathways, and potential legacy contamination. |
| PIR | Post-Industrial Recycled: Material recovered from manufacturing waste streams before reaching an end consumer. Its classification and traceability affect recycled-content accounting and customer claims. |
| PLI | Pounds per Linear Inch: A line-load unit used to express nip loading across a roll or press width. It is relevant to pressing, calendering, sheet densification, dewatering, and equipment limits. |
| PM | Paper Machine: The integrated production line that forms, presses, dries, finishes, and reels a continuous paper web. Machine designation is also commonly used to identify production assets within a mill. |
| PM | Particulate Matter: Airborne solid particles and liquid droplets regulated because of health and environmental effects. Relevant sources include combustion, material handling, dust collection, and process exhausts. |
| PMC | Paper Machine Clothing: The forming fabrics, press felts, and dryer fabrics that support and transport the web through major machine sections. Clothing condition affects drainage, dewatering, marking, drying, runnability, and energy use. |
| PPS | Parker Print-Surf: An air-leak roughness method used to assess the printing surface of paper. Lower measured roughness generally indicates a smoother surface and more uniform contact during printing. |
| PTS | Papiertechnische Stiftung: The German Paper Technology Foundation provides testing, research, technical services, and training for paper producers, suppliers, converters, and recyclers. |
| PVAm | Polyvinylamine: A highly cationic polymer used for dry strength, wet-end charge control, fixation, retention, and surface treatment. It can improve fiber bonding and reduce interference from anionic contaminants. |
| PVOH | Polyvinyl Alcohol: A water-soluble polymer used as a surface-sizing agent, coating binder, film former, and barrier component. Its hydrolysis level and molecular weight influence solubility, strength, and viscosity. |
| Q | |
| QCS | Quality Control System: The measurement and control platform that scans the moving web and adjusts variables such as basis weight, moisture, caliper, ash, and coating weight. It is central to profile uniformity and specification compliance. |
| R | |
| RCRA | Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: The United States law governing solid and hazardous waste from generation through treatment and disposal. Mills use waste characterization and documentation to determine handling and reporting obligations. |
| REACH | Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals: The European Union chemicals framework governing chemical registration, communication, authorization, and restrictions. It affects process additives, articles, supplier declarations, and customer compliance requests. |
| RH | Relative Humidity: The amount of water vapor in air relative to its saturation level at the same temperature. Conditioning humidity affects paper moisture, curl, static, dimensions, strength, and test repeatability. |
| RO | Reverse Osmosis: A membrane process that removes dissolved salts and other contaminants from water under pressure. Mills use it for boiler makeup, process-water treatment, reuse, and control of scaling or corrosion. |
| RTO | Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer: Air-pollution-control equipment that destroys volatile organic compounds at high temperature while recovering heat through ceramic media. It may serve coating, drying, or chemical-process exhausts. |
| S | |
| SAE | Styrene-Acrylic Emulsion: A water-based polymer binder used in paper coatings and surface treatments. It can provide pigment binding, printability, water resistance, gloss, and surface strength. |
| SBR | Sequencing Batch Reactor: A biological wastewater-treatment process that performs aeration, settling, and decanting sequentially in the same basin. It provides flexible control where flows or organic loads vary. |
| SBR | Styrene-Butadiene Rubber: A synthetic latex widely used as a binder in coated papers. It contributes pigment binding, surface strength, print performance, flexibility, and water resistance. |
| SC | Supercalendered: An uncoated publication-paper grade finished through multiple high-pressure calender nips to develop smoothness, gloss, and printability. |
| SCR | Selective Catalytic Reduction: An emissions-control process that injects ammonia or urea and uses a catalyst to reduce nitrogen oxides in combustion exhaust. It may be installed on boilers or other large combustion sources. |
| SDS | Safety Data Sheet: A standardized document describing a chemical’s hazards, composition, handling requirements, exposure controls, and emergency measures. Current documentation is essential for chemical approval, storage, training, and response planning. |
| SEC | Specific Energy Consumption: Energy use normalized to production, such as kilowatt-hours or gigajoules per tonne. It allows comparison across grades, machines, operating periods, and energy-improvement projects. |
| SFI | Sustainable Forestry Initiative: A forest-certification and chain-of-custody program used in North America. It supports responsible sourcing, traceability, and certified-content claims for qualifying products. |
| SNCR | Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction: A nitrogen-oxide control process that injects ammonia or urea into hot flue gas without a catalyst. Performance depends strongly on reagent distribution and temperature window. |
| SR | Schopper–Riegler Freeness: A standardized measure of the drainage resistance of a fiber suspension, expressed in degrees. It is used to monitor furnish condition and refining development, particularly in European practice. |
| SRE | Specific Refining Energy: The refining energy applied per unit mass of fiber. It is used to relate refining intensity to drainage, bonding, tensile strength, bulk, and machine performance. |
| SSC | Specific Steam Consumption: Steam used per unit of saleable production. It is a key measure of drying efficiency, heat recovery, machine configuration, and grade-related energy demand. |
| STPD | Short Tons per Day: A North American capacity and production-rate measure based on 2,000-pound tons. The basis should be stated clearly when comparing it with metric-tonne figures. |
| SVHC | Substance of Very High Concern: A chemical identified under European chemicals legislation because of serious health or environmental properties. Candidate-list status can trigger communication, notification, substitution, or authorization considerations. |
| T | |
| TAD | Through-Air Drying: A tissue process that passes heated air through the web to remove water while preserving a more open structure. It can produce high bulk, softness, and absorbency but typically requires substantial thermal energy. |
| TAPPI | Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry: A professional and standards organization publishing test methods, technical information papers, safety resources, and operating knowledge used throughout paper and tissue manufacturing. |
| TDS | Total Dissolved Solids: The concentration of dissolved inorganic and organic substances in water. Elevated levels can affect corrosion, scaling, chemistry, biological treatment, reuse potential, and discharge quality. |
| TEA | Tensile Energy Absorption: The energy absorbed by a paper or tissue specimen before tensile failure, represented by the area under its stress-strain curve. It indicates toughness and resistance to rupture better than peak tensile alone. |
| TM | Tissue Machine: The integrated production line used to form, dewater, dry, crepe or structure, and reel a tissue web. Mills commonly use this designation when identifying individual production assets. |
| TOC | Total Organic Carbon: A measure of carbon contained in organic compounds in water. It provides a rapid indicator of contamination, process-water quality, or treatment performance. |
| TPD | Tonnes per Day: A standard metric for expressing machine capacity, production rate, and mill output. Comparisons should distinguish gross production from saleable tonnes and clarify moisture basis. |
| TRI | Toxics Release Inventory: A United States public reporting program covering releases, transfers, and waste management of specified chemicals. Qualifying mills compile production, purchasing, emission, and waste data for annual reporting. |
| TSA | Tissue Softness Analyzer: A laboratory instrument that evaluates softness-related surface, structure, and stiffness characteristics. It provides objective measurements that can be correlated with sensory panel results. |
| TSCA | Toxic Substances Control Act: The principal United States law governing industrial chemicals. It affects chemical inventory status, restrictions, recordkeeping, reporting, and review of substances used in or released from manufacturing. |
| TSS | Total Suspended Solids: The concentration of filterable suspended material in water or wastewater. It is a core measure of fiber loss, clarification performance, biological-treatment operation, and effluent compliance. |
| TWF | Twin-Wire Former: A forming configuration in which the furnish is dewatered between two moving fabrics. It can provide rapid drainage and more balanced two-sided sheet properties at high operating speeds. |
| U | |
| UASB | Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket: An anaerobic wastewater-treatment reactor in which influent flows upward through a biologically active sludge bed. It can reduce high organic loads while producing biogas and relatively little excess sludge. |
| UCTAD | Uncreped Through-Air-Dried: A structured tissue process that uses through-air drying without conventional Yankee creping. It can produce high-bulk, absorbent sheets while developing softness through forming and fabric structures. |
| UFS | Uncoated Freesheet: An uncoated printing and writing paper made predominantly from chemical pulp. Common applications include office papers, forms, envelopes, books, and commercial printing. |
| UWF | Uncoated Woodfree: The widely used non-North American term for uncoated paper made mainly from chemical pulp rather than mechanical pulp. |
| V | |
| VAE | Vinyl Acetate–Ethylene: A copolymer emulsion used as a binder or functional coating component. Formulation determines adhesion, flexibility, wet resistance, heat response, and compatibility with pigments or other additives. |
| VOC | Volatile Organic Compound: An organic chemical that readily enters the atmosphere and may contribute to ozone formation or other impacts. Mills monitor relevant emissions from coatings, solvents, fuels, cleaning operations, and process exhausts. |
| W | |
| WBM | Web Break Monitoring: A camera and event-recording system that captures the origin and development of sheet breaks. It helps teams identify defects, deposits, instability, or equipment conditions causing lost production. |
| WESP | Wet Electrostatic Precipitator: An emissions-control device that electrically collects fine particles, aerosols, and condensable material on surfaces cleaned with water. It is suited to moist gas streams and difficult fine-particulate applications. |
| WFC | Woodfree Coated: A coated printing-paper category made mainly from chemical pulp. The term is equivalent in common market usage to coated woodfree paper. |
| WFU | Woodfree Uncoated: An uncoated paper category made primarily from chemical pulp. It includes many office, book, envelope, form, and commercial-printing grades. |
| WIS | Web Inspection System: A high-speed camera system that detects, classifies, maps, and records defects in a moving paper web. It supports quality assurance, root-cause analysis, and customer-claim investigation. |
| WWTP | Wastewater Treatment Plant: The facility and process systems used to remove solids, organic matter, nutrients, and other contaminants from mill effluent before discharge or reuse. |
| Y | |
| YD | Yankee Dryer: A large steam-heated pressure cylinder used to dry tissue and develop surface properties before creping or reel-up. Its coating, condensate removal, pressure integrity, hood balance, and surface condition are critical to safety and productivity. |
| Z | |
| ZDT | Z-Direction Tensile Strength: The tensile strength measured through the thickness of paper rather than along its surface. It indicates internal bond strength and resistance to delamination, picking, or blistering. |