Bleaching of wood pulp is the
chemical processing carried out on various types of
wood pulp to decrease the color of the pulp, so that it becomes whiter. The main use of wood pulp is to make
paper where whiteness (similar to but not exactly the same as "brightness") is an important characteristic. The processes and chemistry described in this article are also applicable to the bleaching of non-wood pulps, such as those made from
bamboo or
kenaf.