Tuesday 28 December 2010

'100...recycling paper'


On average, each person in the UK uses over 200 kg of paper per year. 66 % of this is collected for recycling
We use 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard every year in the UK
About one fifth of the contents of household dustbins consist of paper and card, of which nearly half is newspapers and magazines. This is equivalent to over 4kg of waste paper and card per household in the UK each week
Recycled paper made up 80.6% of the raw materials for UK newspapers by the end of 2006
70% less energy is required to recycle paper compared with making it from raw materials
The average person in the UK gets through 38kg of newspapers per year
It takes 24 trees to make 1 ton of newspaper
Over Christmas as much as 83 square kilometres of wrapping paper will end up in UK rubbish bins
We get through nearly 3 billion disposable nappies each year in the UK alone and around 90% of these end up on landfill sites. Disposable nappies take 500 years to decompose
7 million trees are cut down every year just to make disposable nappies
The average British family throws away 6 trees worth of paper in their household bin a year
Every tonne of paper recycled saves 17 trees
To grow enough trees to provide the amount of paper that Britain uses each year, you would need a forest the size of Wales.

http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/informationsheets/paper.htm

Monday 27 December 2010

'100...images of types of paper'

greaseproof paper
corrugated cardboard
cardboard
sugar paper
filter paper
photo paper
printer paper
kitchen paper towel
parcel paper
tissue paper
toilet paper
tracing paper
cartridge paper

Sunday 26 December 2010

'100...how to make paper'


this is how to make your own paper at home the method images and videos are all source directly from the link below.


The method to make paper was developed in 105 A.D. by Ts'ai Lun. This paper was made from tree bark, rags, and hemp. In 610, the art of paper making reached Japan. In fact, you can still find some of the world's most beautiful paper coming out of Japan.
By 751, Chinese prisoners of war were in the area that is now Afghanistan. The Chinese prisoners began making paper--thus, spreading the methods to Baghdad Egypt, Damascus, and Morocco.
Paper making reached Europe in 1200. The 19th century brought about the industrialization of papermaking.
Today, most paper is machine made. There are still many people in regions throughout the world who keep up the tradition of making paper by hand.
Now, you can make paper at home.

Gathering All Your Supplies

Step-by-Step Photos for Steps 1-3

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Step 1: See the two parts of the deckle, the larger part is the top.Step 1: Fit the larger frame over the smaller frame.Step 2: Fill the sink or tub with water.Step 3: Combine water, paper, and embellishments to blender.  Here, I added moss (for texture) and cinnamon (for scent).Step 3: Blend until paper pulp is soft.
Step 1: See the two parts of the deckle, the larger part is the top.
Step 1: See the two parts of the deckle, the larger part is the top.

Step-by-Step Photos for Steps 4-5

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Step 4: Hold the deckle in the water with one hand.Step 4: Pour the pulp into the deckle.Step 4: Swish the deckle around.  You can also swish the pulp with your fingers.Step 5: Lift the deckle straight up out of the water.  Let all of the excess water drain.Step 5: Tilt the deckle to an angle, letting the rest of the water drain out.
Step 4: Hold the deckle in the water with one hand.
Step 4: Hold the deckle in the water with one hand.

Step-by-Step Photos for Steps 6-7

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Step 6: Remove the top of the deckle.Step 6: See the layer of wet fiber/pulp.Step 7: Place the loose screen over the pulp.Step 7: Press the sponge against the screen, squeezing out the excess water.Step 7: Turn the deckle over onto the towel.
Step 6: Remove the top of the deckle.
Step 6: Remove the top of the deckle.

Step-by-Step Photos for Steps 7-8

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Step 7: Use the sponge on the screen to remove excess water.Step 7: Remove the deckle, leaving the pulp on the loose screen.Step 8: Flip the screen over onto a dry blotter.Step 8: Couch the pulp by rolling the blotter, pulp, screen sandwich.Step 8: Remove the screen from the pulp.
Step 7: Use the sponge on the screen to remove excess water.
Step 7: Use the sponge on the screen to remove excess water.

Step-by-Step Photos for Steps 8-9

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Step 8: Flip the pulp and blotter over onto a dry blotter page.Step 8: Couch the pulp once again, by rolling the blotter pages.Step 8: Remove the top blotter page.  The pulp should be stuck (couched) to the bottom blotter page.Step 9: Carefully remove the pulp sheet from the blotter paper.Step 9: Here is your first piece of homemade paper.  Now, set it out to dry.
Step 8: Flip the pulp and blotter over onto a dry blotter page.
Step 8: Flip the pulp and blotter over onto a dry blotter page.

Paper Making with Lonnie and Jacqueline

Making Paper with 4th Graders

Embellishments

Click thumbnail to view full-size
To add a picture, simply place the photo on the pulp while it is still under water.Gently press the picture (or other embellishment, like leaves or petals) into the pulp.The embellishment will set into the pulp as you pull the deckle out of the water.The finished paper with embellishment.Both finished pieces.  These only took about 15 minutes to make.
To add a picture, simply place the photo on the pulp while it is still under water.
To add a picture, simply place the photo on the pulp while it is still under water.

Quick Papermaking Demo

What You Will Need:

  • Blender
  • Rolling Pin
  • Flat workspace
  • Kitchen sink with stopper, or large plastic tub
  • Kitchen Towels, or rags
  • Paper Blotters
  • Deckle (make your own, or buy one at a craft store)
  • nylon screen
  • sponge
  • leaves, moss, glitter, or other decorations
  • Paper - you can use old envelopes, papers, newspapers, stamps (but avoid glossy paper, like magazines)
  • Microwave or hair dryer, if desired

Step 1

Assemble your deckle by fitting the larger frame over the screened side of the smaller frame.

Step 2

Fill your sink or tub with warm water (so it feels nice to touch--not too hot, not too cold). The water should be about three inches deep.

Step 3

Now, it is time to make your paper pulp. Tear your paper into squares (about 1"). Combine water with the paper in your blender. It should be about 2:1, two parts water to 1 part paper. Blend until the pulp is soft. You might see some chunks, but not any big ones.

Step 4

You are ready to pour your pulp. Place your deckle and screen in the sink (or tub), so the water is about 1" below the top of the deckle. Hold the deckle down under the water with one hand. With your free hand, pour the pulp into the deckle. Swish the deckle around.

Step 5

Lift the deckle straight up, draining the visible water. You want to keep the pulp even, so avoid tilting the deckle as you lift it. Once the visible water has drained, tilt the deckle. Wait for the water to stop draining.

Step 6

Place the deckle on a flat surface. Remove the top half of the deckle. There will be a layer of wet fiber (pulp) on the screen.

Step 7

Now, you need to sponge the pulp. Place your loose screen over the pulp. Use a moist sponge to evenly press over the pulp. Squeeze the sponge out into the sink, and repeat. You want to draw as much moisture out of the pulp as you can. Fold a kitchen towel, or rag, in half, then turn the pulp (with screen and deckle) over onto the towel. Use the sponge on the deckle screen to remove excess water. Squeeze out sponge and repeat.
Remove the deckle, leaving the pulp pressed against the loose screen. You can peel the pulp off of the deckle if it sticks.

Step 8

It is time to couch (pronounced koo-ch) the paper pulp. Flip the screen and pulp onto a piece of blotter paper. The pulp should be sandwiched between the screen and the blotter. Use a rolling pin to roll over the pulp sandwich. The pulp will transfer from the screen to the blotter. This method is called couching (kooching). Couch the paper again, onto a dry blotter. If your paper pulp is still really wet, couch again.

Step 9

Carefully lift one corner of the pulp sheet, slowly peeling it off of the blotter. It is time to let the paper dry. You can let it air dry (which takes 1-3 days depending on humidity), heat it in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, or use a blow dryer on the paper.
Don't be surprised if your paper curls. To flatten it, stick it under some heavy books overnight.
You have just made one piece of paper!


heres another site you can go to the learn how to make
your very own homemade paper.

http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/paper/paper.htm

'100...history of paper'


Paper is so essential to writing that we couldn't do without it, and yet it was not invented until several millennia after the invention of writing. So, what did people write on before the invention of paper? Some dozens of thousands of years ago, primitive humans started to draw graffiti and paint hunting scenes on rocks and cave walls. They also carved notches on sticks, shells, bones, and stones. It seems they used these signs to count things like days, lunar months, and the animals they bred. From these first paintings and carvings begins the path that will lead to writing, but also the history of the materials used for writing begins here. It is of these items that I will speak in this section.
CLAY TABLETS
Writing was invented about 5500 years ago by Sumerians, a people devoted to agriculture who lived in ancient Mesopotamia. As a medium for their texts, Sumerians used clay tablets. Clay is basically mud and in their alluvial plains they had plenty of it. With clay, they prepared tablets in which they etched pictures or symbols as long as the tablets were still damp and soft enough. These tablets were then left to dry so that the signs engraved could be kept for a long time. First Sumerians, then Babylonians and Assyrians used these tablets primarily for administrative purposes and notating agricultural products delivered to warehouses near temples. Tablets were often stored on wooden shelves. The only possible danger would have been water which could ruin the tablets. Conversely, if a fire were to break out, the clay tablets would undergo a cooking that would transform them into terracotta, a material impervious to water and able to last thousands of years. Fires which because of accidents or war sometimes struck the archives of these ancient people allowed thousands of cuneiform tablets to be preserved till modern times. Their deciphering by archaeologists is giving us important information on the ancient civilizations which produced them.
PAPYRUS
Shortly after the Sumerians, ancient Egyptians developed their own writing. They took some of their symbols from the Sumerians, but also invented many other symbols, comprising an original script of their own. Egyptian writing was prevalently used for sacred and celebratory purposes; for this it came to be called hieroglyphic (‘sacred writing’). Egyptians sculpted or painted their writings on stony temple walls and wooden sarcophagi. One of the most important inventions of the Egyptians was the papyrus, a medium which begins to have some likeness to paper. Papyrus takes its name from the plant from which it was obtained. This plant has its roots in water and develops a long cylindrical stem which ends with a tuft of narrow and long leaves. From the spongy stem of this plant, Egyptians extracted thin strips that they placed side by side, partly overlapping them. Subsequently, over the first layer of strips, they superimposed a second layer, placing the strips transverse to those below. The natural glues present in this plant’s tissue insured the adhesion of the strips. Other sheets were often adjoined to the first sheet, rendering strips that could even be several meters long and that came to be rolled up in volumes. To improve the possibility of using this surface for writing, Egyptians beat, scraped, and smoothed papyri during their production. Egyptian scribes wrote on papyrus using brushes and ink.
http://www.museolibroantico.com/corso_libro_antico.html  Pictures of the fabrication of papyrus.
PARCHMENT
Ancient Egyptians produced a lot of papyrus, part of which was retained for their own use and the rest to be sold in all of the Mediterranean. Among their best customers were the ancient Greeks and Romans. Unfortunately, because of political and economic crises which struck Egyptian society in the last centuries before Christ, the production of papyrus diminished. The price of the product increased and it became necessary to find a substitute. In the city of Pergamus, people started using sheepskin as a medium for writing. From just one skin, one could get several sheets as it was possible to separate more layers from the skin. To make them suitable for writing, the skin had to be adequately prepared. Towards that goal, sheets were scraped to remove fat and flesh, then put out to dry on frames which kept them tight. The final product was parchment, a material highly suitable for writing which came to be used in Europe throughout the Middle Ages, up until the introduction of paper. An old parchment could be scraped of the previous writing and could therefore be reused. In this manner, however, many works by Greek and Roman authors have been lost.
PAPER
According to the Chinese, paper was invented in 105 A.D. by an official of the Emperor, but recent archaeological findings have shown that paper was already being used in China at least 200 years before this. The Chinese used large quantities of paper made from rags and vegetable fibers extracted from hemp, bamboo, mulberry, willow, etc. They also used paper to make fans, hats, clothes, and other everyday objects. Paper was brought and spread to many Eastern countries by Buddhist monks.
In 751 A.D., after a thirty-one-year war, Arabs defeated the Chinese in battle. Among the prisoners taken were paper factory workers who taught the technique of papermaking to the Arabs. Soon thereafter, Samarkand became an important center of paper production. As raw materials, the Arabs used linen and hemp rags. A few centuries later, the art of papermaking came to Egypt, then Morocco, and from there Spain. The first Spanish paper factory was opened in 1009.
In 1250, Italy became the biggest producer of paper, which came to be exported to many European countries. To make paper less absorbent, Arabs used glues derived from vegetables, but this type of paper was susceptible to mold and quickly deteriorated. By using glues derived from animals, Italians greatly improved the quality of paper and its duration could reach many centuries. In fact, today we know of paper documents which are still in very good condition after more than 700 years from their production. An important Italian papermaking center was Fabriano, where the watermark was invented. Within about three centuries, the technique of papermaking spread from Italy to all of Europe and then to the Americas.
In the beginning, Arabs and Europeans made paper out of rags. As time passed, the demand for paper quickly increased, so much so that after a while, rags were no longer sufficient. In search of a substitute to rags, in 1719 a Frenchman, who had observed wasps while building their nests, suggested
trying wood to make paper. The trials that were carried out were a success and since then wood has become the main raw material for producing paper.
To separate individual fibers of cellulose from each other, rags and wood were placed in mortars and beaten by heavy pestles operated by hydraulic wheels. When the mixture of fibers was ready, workers poured it into vats full of water. They then immersed special sieves into the vats and extracted them collecting a part of the suspension of fibers. During the extraction, workers moved the sieve in order to make the layer of fibers uniform. Then they let the water drain out, and they placed the layer of fibers on a piece of felt which was placed on a pile of other sheets and bits of felt. This pile was pressed to squeeze away the water. Finally, the sheet of paper was hung to dry.
In the beginning of 1800, the French and the English began to build machines for the perpetual production of paper. Paper machines were equipped with a long sieve in the form of a moving belt which collected a continuous layer of fibers from the suspension. During its run, the ribbon of paper under formation has glue, mineral additives, and other substances added to it; then it is squeezed of excess water, dried, and rolled. Finally, it is gathered in large rolls and sent to factories which turn it into newspapers, notebooks, and many other products. The fabrication of paper by hand is still practiced to produce precious sheets or for artistic purposes, but this represents a very small quantity of the paper produced in the world.
Modern paper is therefore produced primarily from wood and it is made up of numerous cellulose fibers that are held together by glue. Paper can undergo special treatment in order to make it suitable for whatever intended use. Take for example the paper used for drawing and watercolors, which must have a specific thickness, a certain roughness and a certain absorbency, etc. It is also possible to make paper without adding glue, but the result is a very absorbent paper. To render it suitable for writing or printing, it is necessary to lower the absorption of ink which otherwise would spread. For this purpose, paper is glued, that is, animal or synthetic glues are added to it. To make paper less porous, more compact and even brighter, it is coated. Coating consists of adding very fine mineral powders such as kaolin, calcium carbonate, talc, fossil flour, and an appropriate adhesive such as casein or other types of glue. The sheet passes through rollers which press it with force (calandering) and comes out bright.
Often people use tissues or paper napkins to clean the lenses of glasses or cameras, but the presence of mineral powders make ordinary paper products unfit for this purpose. In fact, when rubbing on delicate optical surfaces, these mineral particles cause microscopic streaks which ruin the quality of the lens. To clean lenses, you can use special paper products specifically produced for that function, composed solely of pure cellulose.
Unfortunately, certain modern papermaking processes greatly reduce the life of paper, which within a few years tends to yellow and weaken. Processes exist which instead produce paper capable of lasting centuries, keeping itself in very good condition.
The importance of the invention of paper can be better understood if people think that before its arrival, to make a book in parchment, dozens or hundreds of skins were needed. Because of its uniformity in thickness, paper made possible the invention of the printing press. Before the invention of the printing press, books had to be written by hand. Together, these two innovations greatly lowered the cost of books and largely contributed to the spread of culture throughout the world.