How Did Paper Come About?

SOURCE 1
It all started 5000 years ago. That and at the Nile river ally in Egypt. Cyperous Papyrus was the name of the marsh grass that grew there. Egyptians cut thin strips from the plant's stem, softened them in the muddy waters of the Nile and the strips were then layered in right angles to form a kind of mat. The mat was then pounded into a thin sheet and left in the sun to dry. The resulting sheets were ideal for writing on. Since they were also lightweight and portable, they became the writing medium of choice of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for record keeping, spiritual texts and works of art.

Cyperous Papyrus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papyrus

Adapted from: http://www.hqpapermaker.com/paper-history/

SOURCE 2

This time, the source of paper dates back to the 2nd century BC in China. The tombs of the former Han Dynasty were excavated and revealed silk cloth containing the texts of Lao Tzu - the father of Taoism. In 105 AD, Han Emperor Ho-Ti's chief eunuch T'sai Lun experimented with a wide variety of materials and refined the process of macerating the fibre of plants. After a number of processes, T'sai Lun became the patron saint of paper making.

Hemp wrapping paper
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper

Adapted from: http://www.hqpapermaker.com/paper-history/

What Is Paper Made Of?

          Papers. Do you know what paper is? I'm sure that you definitely know what it is but do you
have any idea what is it made of? So, now, you will know what it is made from.


          Paper is actually created by compressing together moist fibers from grasses, woods, rags and drying them into flexible sheets such as the ones we used to write or draw on. Although it might look simple to you, the fact is that it is more complicated and complex than what you may imagine now. There are two
types of pulping process, which are the chemical pulping and the mechanical pulping.


          Firstly, to make pulp from a wood by chemical pulping, lignin will have to be removed cellulose fibers,  which helps to maintain the quality of the fibers. This is called wood-free papers. Then, in order to produce a white paper,  bleaching process will have to be done but it consumes 5% of the cellulose.

Chemical pulping

http://us.magnetrol.com/applications.aspx?application=30

          Secondly, mechanical pulping, where  wood is chipped then fed into huge steam-heated refiners, squeezing it and made into fibers by rolling them between two steel discs. Though this process requires  a lot of electricity and its quality is not as good as the chemical pulping, it is cheaper.

Mechanical pulping

http://cnr.ncsu.edu/fb/research/research_facilities.php

               These two ways above are now still used in several country.


Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper

Introduction

Everyone uses paper. It doesn't matter what industry one is in as everyone's job includes jotting down notes, and what other material better than paper can be used? No matter how advanced the Earth becomes, paper is still going to be the one of the most essential materials we need.


What actually is paper? Anyone in his or her right mind's answer would be something to write or draw on. That is correct, of course. However, according to the Oxford Dictionary, paper is a material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances.

As a matter of fact, there are many meanings to the term 'paper'. There are also a lot of things to be known about paper, not just its meaning. How is paper made? Where did paper come from? What gave our ancestors the inspiration to invent this material called 'paper'? Why paper to write on with ink? Why not leaves to be made into books instead? Will paper be used up tomorrow? Or perhaps the day after tomorrow?

Have you actually thought about all those questions? If you haven't, then you'd better start thinking! Knowing the answers to those questions will increase your knowledge about paper and possibly teach you some noble lessons too. On this blog, we'll do our best to answer any enquiries about this material we are all using.

At the same time, limit your paper usage. You should recycle it after you're done with it. You never know -  someday, your tiny little act might just save the Earth we are living in.

Authors

Janice Cheng

Everyone's special; so am I. Born on the 10th of November, 1997, I was named Janice Cheng, just as written. My ambition's to be a geophysicist. Hobbies are reading novels and surfing the Net. My mother tongue is the world's current lingua franca: English. The Earth's a fine place to live in but not if you spoil it. So, manage your paper usage wisely!

Lee Sum Mei

A 15 year old girl who loves nature, my name is Lee Sum Mei and I was born on the 6th of May, 1997. My ambition is to be an ecologist. Why? It can help to SAVE THE WORLD! Hobbies are walking leisurely in the park to enjoy the cool, fresh air and playing the piano to express myself. The Earth is not permanent: the trees will not stay green and alive if our generation and the next remain ignorant of what is crucial, in fact, there are roles we need to play in order to ensure our Earth survives. These trees are shelter to animals. Therefore, minimise the use of paper and practise recycling! You. Can. Make. A. Difference.

Law Kah Kaye

Preferably called Kah Kaye or Kaye, I am a 15-year-old girl born on the 15th of November, 1997 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ambition? Well, I'm not sure about what I would like to be in the future but for now, I aim to get good results in my studies. Hobbies are travelling, listening to music and drawing. Paper is one of the most important resources on Earth and with the amount of paper we use everyday, it is not surprising if it eventually becomes used up. To conserve paper, I make it a habit to draw or doodle on already-used paper. Therefore, I urge YOU to take a step towards that recycle bin near you, lift up its lid and dump your newspapers, magazines or whatever forms of paper you want to dispose of, in it. It helps!  In protecting the environment, that is.

Nicetha Lily

My name is Nicetha Lily, a.k.a. Neech to my friends. I am fifteen and a storybook addict. I love playing badminton and I want to dissect bodies, dead ones of course when I grow up. Specifically, I want to be a pathologist. My favourite shows are all CSI(s). And no one can ever keep me away from Merlin. I love fruit juices. Lastly,I am a "Use less paper" fan. Thanks! 

Glenna Tan

Hi, my name is Glenna Tan and I am 15 years old. My dream is to become the champion in the next year's basketball tournament and my hobby is playing basketball. We should be grateful to have such a beautiful earth, but nowadays the earth is facing a lot of problems. Maybe you might say, "What can I do about the problems that the earth is facing?" It is difficult to see what you can do to stop people cutting down hundreds of trees everyday, but you can do little things yourself. So,here I urge all of you to use less paper. Then, we'll all have a healthier planet.

Marcus Wong

My name is Marcus Wong, born on the 7th of August 1997. Everyone has an ambition of their own, so do I. I would like to be a dentist in the future. Hobbies are reading non-fictional books(facts)/ fictional books (related to myths) and playing computer games. I'm from Malaysia, so as the other group members. And just to remind you since we all use paper everyday, which kills trees, do your part in overcoming this major problem such as recycling, in order to avoid the extinction of trees, for the future generations and also our sizeable globe.