A team of Chinese scientists has developed a new water-and-fire-resistant paper, a product expected to hit the market in three years, local newspaper South China Morning Post reported on Thursday.
The country where paper was invented in the second century is now also the birthplace of a new product, which is obtained by adding hydroxyapatite (a type of calcium) to paper pulp.
This is found in the enamel of animal teeth and bones, and makes the structure of the paper change and have special properties.
Thus, this new product discovered by the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics allows the paper to repel not only water but also other liquid substances such as coffee, juice or tea, and withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius.
Researchers are now applying for the relevant patents and expect the paper to be in the market in three years.
According to the paper, research director Zhu Yingjie explained that water repellent and fire-resistant paper had previously been produced, but never with both properties at the same time.
"We believe this role will be beneficial to all sorts of different uses, ranging from their use for calligraphy to even billboards," he said.
The paper was invented in China in the second century and for a thousand years this Asian people protected their find before it reached Europe, through Spain and Italy.
Source: TV News
Credits: World in positive