What material, softened wood fibers, is primarily used to make paper?

The material primarily used to make paper is pulp. Pulp is created by breaking down softened wood fibers through a process that often involves cooking the wood chips with chemicals and water. This process turns the wood into a slurry of fiber, which can be further refined, bleached, and processed to create paper.

Pulping is a crucial step in the papermaking process because it ensures that the wood fibers are clean and properly broken down, allowing for the necessary bonding of fibers that produces strong and usable paper. The characteristics of the pulp, such as its fiber length and cleanliness, directly affect the quality of the final paper product.

Fiberboard, cardboard, and plastic are not used to make traditional paper. Fiberboard and cardboard are made from processed pulp but typically have additional materials and processing that distinguishes them from standard paper. Plastic is a synthetic material completely unrelated to the natural fibers used in paper production.