London, June 7: Punching your way out of a paper bag could soon become
a lot harder, for researchers in Europe claim to have developed a new
kind of paper which is stronger than cast iron.
A team at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology has produced the
"nanopaper" from a biological material found. in conventional paper -
cellulose. This long sugar molecule is a principal component of plant
cell walls and is the most common organic compound on Earth.
"The new paper could be used to reinforce conventional paper, produce
extra-strong sticky tape or help create tough synthetic replacements
for biological tissues," according to Lars Berglund, who led the
team.
Cellulose is extracted from wood to make paper. But the mechanical
processes used to pulp wood and process it into paper damage the
individual cellulose fibres, greatly reducing their strength. So, the
Swedish team have developed a gentler process that preserves the
fibres' strength, the 'New Scientist' has reported.
The new method involves breaking down wood pulp with
enzymes and then fragmenting it using a mechanical beater. The shear
forces produced cause the cellulose to disintegrate into its component
fibres.
The end result is undamaged cellulose fibres suspended
in water. When the water is drained away, they found that the fibres
join together into networks held by hydrogen bonds, forming flat
sheets of "nanopaper".
Source: Financial Express
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