Paper

=Paper=

Paper was named after “papyrus,” a reed that the ancient Egyptians used to make material to write on. The Egyptians cut papyrus stems into thin strips and then crisscrossed the strips, and then pressed them into sheets.

Modern paper, and the papermaking process, was invented in China around 105 AD. Early Chinese paper was too rough to write on, so it was used for wrapping and wearing as clothes.

The art of papermaking then moved to different countries around the world. By the 1300’s there were paper mills in many areas of Europe.

When the printing press was invented there was more need for paper, and people were running out of rags. So, at the beginning of the 1800s, wood and some vegetable pulps began to replace rags as the main source of pulp. In 1798, the first papermaking machine was invented. It used a moving belt made out of screen. Paper was made one sheet at a time.

Today wood has become the major source of fibre for papermaking, rag fibres are still used to make the strongest paper. Recycled wastepaper is another important source. Other fibres used include straw, bagasse (residue from crushed sugarcane), esparto (a type of grass), bamboo, flax (a herb), hemp, jute, and kenaf plants.

What can we expect paper to be like in the future?