UNESCO resource kit - science and technology educa...

UNESCO Module 13: Materials made from wood -------------------
Making your own paper
Use fibres from different types of wood, matchsticks orstrawto make some paper. For stage
4 of the process you will need a special frame as shown below.
net curtain
5 Simmer your starting material with 10% sodium hydroxide solution in a
conical flask for at least an hour (longer if possible).
SAFETY:
Sodium hydroxide is caustic and very corrosive.
Eye protection is essential.
Toavoid 'spitting' thesolutionshouldnot be vigorouslyboiled.
Watershould be added to the mixture to replace that which has evaporated.
6 Separate the fibres from the solution using a large kitchen sieve over a sink.
Rinse the fibres for a few minutes by running tap water into the sieve.
7 Roughen up the fibres by grinding them with a pestle and mortar or putting
them in a liquidiser for a couple of minutes.
8 Add water so that the suspension of fibres is very runny. Stir well and keep
stirring as you pour the suspension into a paper-making frame, held over a
sink. Your partner should jiggle the frame from side to side as you pour in
the suspension so that the fibres form an even layer.
9 Allow the water to drain through the frame, then carefully peel out the wet
paper on to a smooth board.
10 Let the paper dry. You can, if you like, speed up the drying by laying several
layers of newspaper and then another board on top of your paper and
applying pressure. Repeat this until most of the water has been squeezed out
of the paper.
11 If you want to write on the paper, paint the surface with a solution of gelatine
in water and allow to dry again.
If other members of the class have made paper from different starting materials,
you could compare the appearance and the strength of the different papers.
Page 2 -- _
wax!