Project 1.6, Why fibers?

A few posts earlier, I mentioned how my lint paper turned out more structurally sound than my recycled newspaper paper. Pretty bizarre if you ask me. Wouldn't it just make sense for the already made paper to turn back into paper? Through my readings on poop paper, I was directed towards the source... fibers! What makes paper possible to begin with has something to do with the fibers of the materials you are using.

So, Josie, are you suggesting that lint paper is a better alternative for paper than how we know paper today?

No, I'm not saying this, but I do think there is a possibility for it to be used to complement modern-day paper production. From my experiment, I cannot really see lint replacing paper since it takes gallons of water to agitate the clothing fibers in your washing machine and drying machines to only add it to more water that goes to waste.

There is something I just needed to get past... Why did the lint work better than the paper for me?

According to Britannica's entry on Paper-making Fiber Sources, "The cell walls of all plants contain fibers of cellulose, an organic material known to chemists as a linear polysaccharide. It constitutes about one-third of the structural material of annual plants and about one-half that of perennial plants. Cellulose fibers have high strength and durability. ".This screams to me that the cotton in the clothing we have worn and washed continually has a stronger linear polysaccharide than trees.

The entry continues stating, "Most plant materials also contain non-fibrous elements or cells, and these also are found in pulp and paper. The non-fibrous cells are less desirable for paper-making than fibers but, mixed with fiber, are of value in filling in the sheet. It is probably true that paper of a sort can be produced from any natural plant. The requirements of paper quality and economic considerations, however, limit the sources of supply." which sums up the conclusion I was initially drawn to. It seems that the cotton plant may have a stronger linear polysaccharide and less non-fibrous elements which made it more sturdy than the regenerated newspaper paper. Cool.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/papermaking/Fibre-sources