Procedure:
- Place shredded paper into beaker
- Add 2x mass of water into beaker. Mix them thoroughly
- Place the mixture into a blender
- Place the pulp into a water trough
- Add 6x mass of water to the pulp. Mix them thoroughly
- Use the mold to scoop up the pulp and allow water to drain off
- Place a cloth under the mould and allow it to dry for 24 hours
Concept behind the Making of Biopaper
After the papers are blended, placed in water and scooped out by the mold, the water is drained so that a mat of randomly interwoven cellulose fibers is laid down. As the water evaporates, the interwoven fibers become stronger and hydrogen bonds, permanent dipole-permanent dipole and instantaneous dipole-induced dipole attractions between fibers also hold the fibers together, thereby creating biopaper.
Advantages of Biopaper:
- save more trees and forests, which are important to us (the air we breathe) and animals who live there
- sustainable
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- keeps landfill space free for other materials that cannot be recycled
Limitations:
- Paper recycling has its limits. Every time paper is recycled, the fiber becomes shorter, weaker and more brittle. In general, paper can be recycled up to seven times before it must be discarded.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papermaking
http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/The-Benefits-Of-Paper-Recycling-Why-Recycle-Paper.htm
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