FI771058

A continuous, essentially closed recirculating papermaking process is provided by using a dispersing medium of adjustable viscosity. The process permits the continuous reuse of the medium under preferred operating conditions. It includes the steps of forming a dispersion of fibers within the adjustable medium containing a pH sensitive viscosity producing agent, reducing the fiber consistency and the viscosity within the dispersion while maintaining the concentration of the agent substantially unchanged, subsequently forming a fibrous web material on a papermaking screen from said dispersion of reduced fiber consistency while separating the dispersing media from the fibers forming the web and continuously collecting the separated media and recirculating it within the system to effect a subsequent fiber dispersion as well as a fiber consistency reduction and viscosity reduction without substantially changing the concentration of the viscosity producing agent. The separated and recirculated dispersing media is capable of forming a high viscosity dispersing media for the fibers at the time of forming the subsequent fiber dispersion without the addition of more viscosity producing agent.