|
This information is reprinted from the For Beginners column
of Hand Papermaking Newsletter #17 (January, 1992).
To learn how to subscribe to Hand Papermaking's bi-annual
magazine and quarterly newsletter,
click here.
Sources of Fiber and Pulp
The main ingredient in papermaking, the cellulose fiber
which binds together to form the paper is available to hand
papermakers in a number of different forms. Cloth, raw fiber,
partially-processed fiber, and pulp are all available from
various sources. Most of these require some treatment before
they are ready to be used for making paper. In addition
to various visual and tactile properties, your selection
of fiber for papermaking will depend on the kind of equipment
you have and the effort you wish to put into preparing the
pulp.
Making paper from cloth, which is the traditional source
of fiber for Western papermaking, requires a fair amount
of preparation because the individual cellulose fibers have
been spun into thread and woven (or connected in some other
way). The effect of these processes must be undone to separate
the individual fibers, which are also held together by non-fibrous
materials. Any natural fiber cloth, such as cotton, linen,
or ramie, is suitable for making paper from. Traditional
methods for breaking down cloth fiber include fermenting
and beating, using either a stamper or a Hollander beater.
A large variety of raw fibers can be used for papermaking
as well. These fall into three categories: bast or inner
bark fibers (such as flax and kozo), leaf fibers (such as
abaca and sisal), and grass fibers (such as bamboo and rice
straw). Raw fibers often require cooking, retting or fermenting,
and beating, which may be done by hand as an alternative
to using a stamper or Hollander beater.
Papermakers may wish to work with partially-processed
fiber. This category would include a wide range of products
from cotton half-stuff (partially processed cotton from
the textile industry, requiring a stamper or Hollander beater
to successfully prepare it for papermaking) to sheets of
cotton linter or abaca. The fiber in sheet form has been
sufficiently treated to allow it to be used by papermakers
with relatively simple preparation. This fiber can be turned
into pulp through the use of a Whiz-mixerš, a propeller
on the end of a long, motor-powered shaft; a hydropulper,
which churns fiber and water together; or a blender.
The final alternative for papermakers, which requires
no equipment at all, is to purchase ready-made pulp from
a mill or facility with a Hollander beater. Some facilities
can accommodate custom orders for combinations of fibers,
color matching, and the inclusion of additives. Some of
them require pick-up of the pulp while others will ship
pulp to papermakers.
Copyright 1992 Hand Papermaking, Inc.
|
