During the 19th century new processes for pulping wood fibers where developed in Canada and Germany and with lower manufacturing costs the use of paper grew. Paper spread from China through the Middle east to Europe in the 13th century, where the first water-powered paper mills were built. It is thought to be first developed in China during the early 2nd century AD. On a trip to Thailand I went to an elephant sanctuary where they made paper from elephant dung and gave a great story of how a guy first made it using the kitchen blender, not surprisingly his wife was not impressed :) While paper is most commonly used for writing and printing upon, it is also used for packaging and in cleaning products as well as a number of industrial and construction processes and sometimes even as a food ingredient (particularly in Asian cultures – hmm, hope no-one uses the elephant dung paper). It is made by pressing together moist fibers of a cellulose pulp, usually wood, rags or grasses. Paper is a thin versatile material with many uses.
So what is it? Well I’m glad you asked (I’m sure you didn’t but I am going to tell you anyway).
