"Really, paper!"..... Never crossed my mind.

Paper, a versatile material with wide range of uses of which its most common use is for writing, printing upon and most often packaging is a product derived from pressing together moist fibres, tipically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them up into flexible sheets. That is to say paper is a product derived from plants.

The processes involved in paper making are chemistry based and involves processes in chemistry, implying that chemistry is part of our every day life. Paper making involves chemical pulping, or mechanical pulping, or recycling. then comes additives, drying then finishing.

CHEMICAL PULPING: The aim of chemical pulping process is to break down the chemical structure of lignin and render it soluble in the cooking liquor, so that it may be washed from the cellulose fibres. This process makes the fibre loose thus, making the pulp. This pulp can be bleached to produce white paper or dyed to produce colored paper. unbleached paper can be used directly for bags and boxes but are often processed further.

MECHANICAL PULPING: This is of two types, Thermomechanical pulp and Mechanical pulp. For thermomechanical pulp, wood is chipped and fed into a large steam-heated refiner where the chips are squeezed and fibreized between two steel discs. While for the mechanical pulp, debarked logs are fed into grinders where they are pressured against roatating stones and fibreized. Paper made from this pulp are yellow and become brittle over time.

RECYCLED PAPER: Paper recycling process may involve any of the above mentioned process. By mixing with water and applying mechanical process, the hydrogen bonds in the paper are broken and the fibres are separated again.

ADDITIVES: Besides fibres, pulp may contain fillers such as chalk, or china clay, which improve the characteristics of the paper for printing or writing.

DRYING: After the paper web is produced, pressing the sheet removes water from the pulp. Once water is forced out of the sheet, felt is used to collect the water. Drying involves using air and or heat to remove water from the paper sheet.

FINISHING: The paper may undergo sizing to alter the physical properties for various applications. Paper at this point is uncoated. The paper is then fed onto reels if it is to be used on web printing presses or cut into sheets for other purposes.

Doctor am ill....... " My drinking water? "

Sadly, in this day and age there are few if any place where water which is a necessity of life and most abundant substance on earth is safe for consumption without any form of treatment no matter how pure we think they might be. Water if not treated may contain harmful substances, microorganisms, bacteria, parasites, etc which can cause a variety of ailment.
Water is composed of two molecules of hydrogen, and a molecule of oxygen which are chemically bound together thus giving the molecular formula H2O. Water can be of solid, liquid, or gaseous form and its purest source is from rainwater though other water bodies such as oceans, rivers, lakes, etc hold large amounts of water.

The goal of all water treatment process is to remove existing contaminants in the water or reduce the concentration of such contaminants thus, making it safe for its desired end-use. These processes can be of physical process such as settling and filtration or chemical process such as disinfection and coagulation. Biological processes are also employed in the treatment of waste water and this process may include aerated lagoons, activated sludge or slow sand filters.

" note that these processes all involves the use of principles in chemistry."

Substances removed during the tretment process, range from bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi, and minerals such as iron, manganese, and sulphur. Man made chemical pollutants including fertilizers are also removed.

A combination of the following processes is used for the municipal drinking water treatment world wide;

1. PRE-CHLORINATION: Employed for algae control and arresting any biological growth.

2. AREATION: Along with pre-chlorination for the removal of dissolved iron and manganese.

3. COAGULATION: Employed for flocculation.

4. POLYELECTROLYTES: Also known as coagulant aid is employed to improve coagulation and for thick floc formation.

5. SEDIMENTATION: For solid seperation, that is, removal of suspended solids trapped in the floc.

6. FILTERATION: For removal of carried over floc.

7. DISINFECTION: For killing bacteria.

CAN THIS BE TRUE?

Sure, the involvement of chemistry in our daily life are unlimited. In fact, it starts right from when we are being given birth to and up to when we die. take for example, waking up in the morning, to the sound of an alarm. The alarm which is a common household appliance is powered by batteries which are built or manufactured on the principles of chemistry even their mode of operation.

These batteries contain a negative and a positive electrode. The positive electrode is made of carbon rods which are being surrounded by a mixture of carbon and manganese dioxide while the negative electrode are made of zinc. This setup is based on the principles of chemistry (electrolysis).

Also common household items such as detergent, household cleaners even cooking gas are all products of chemistry based on various principles in chemistry. Even when we take our bath, chemistry is involve. The soap we use is also a product of chemistry, It contains chemicals which are chemically formulated and obey the laws of chemistry governing their formation and use. Coloring agents used in the manufacture of make-up for women, nail polish, hair dye, etc are all products of chemistry even the tooth paste for brushing our teeth, insecticides, body sprays, perfumes, polythene bags etc are products of chemistry. Without understanding the chemistry of their formation, their manufacture or production and usage would be limited if not impossible.

Almost all we do and around us in our daily lives involves chemistry even the food we eat, right from its preparation up to its transformation to energy in the body is chemistry. The burning of wood for fuel or burning of petrol in a car engine is all chemistry. Chemistry is all around us no doubt.