Editing Papermaking (section)

== History ==
{{Main|History of paper}}

The word "paper" is etymologically derived from [[papyrus]], [[Ancient Greek]] for the ''[[Cyperus papyrus]]'' plant. [[Papyrus]] is a thick, paper-like material produced from the pith of the ''Cyperus papyrus'' plant which was used in [[ancient Egypt]] and other [[History of the Mediterranean region|Mediterranean societies]] for [[History of writing|writing]] long before paper was used in China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Papyrus|title=Papyrus definition| work=Dictionary.com|access-date=2008-11-20}}</ref> Papyrus is prepared by cutting off thin ribbon-like strips of the pith (interior) of the ''Cyperus papyrus'' plant and then laying out the strips side-by-side to make a sheet. A second layer is then placed on top, with the strips running perpendicular to the first. The two layers are then pounded together using a mallet to make a sheet. The result is very strong, but has an uneven surface, especially at the edges of the strips. When used in scrolls, repeated rolling and unrolling causes the strips to come apart again, typically along vertical lines. This effect can be seen in many ancient papyrus documents.<ref name="Tsien 1985 38">{{harvnb|Tsien|1985|p=38}}</ref>

[[File:Chinese_hemp_paper_western_han.jpg|thumb|right|Early Xi'An hemp paper, dated to at least 87 BC]]

[[Hemp paper]] had been used in [[China]] for wrapping and padding since the eighth century BC.<ref name="needham volume 5 122">Needham, Joseph (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Part 1''. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. Volume 5, p. 122.</ref> Paper with legible Chinese writings on it has been dated to 8 BC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://worldarch.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/enews_11.pdf|title=World Archaeological Congress eNewsletter 11 August 2006}}</ref>
The traditional inventor attribution is of [[Cai Lun]], an official attached to the Imperial court during the [[Han dynasty]] (202 BC – 220 CE), said to have invented paper about 105 CE using [[mulberry]] and other [[bast fibre]]s along with fishnets, old rags, and [[hemp]] waste.<ref>Papermaking. (2007). In: ''Encyclopædia Britannica''.  Retrieved April 9, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.</ref> Paper used as a writing medium had become widespread by the 3rd century<ref name="needham volume 5 1">Needham, Joseph (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Part 1''. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. Volume 5, p. 1.</ref> and, by the 6th century, [[toilet paper]] was starting to be used in China as well.<ref name="needham volume 5 123">Needham, Joseph (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Part 1''. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. Volume 5, p. 123.</ref> During the [[Tang dynasty]] (618–907 CE) paper was folded and sewn into square [[tea bag|bags]] to preserve the flavour of tea,<ref name="needham volume 5 122" /> while the later [[Song dynasty]] (960–1279 CE) was the first government to issue paper-printed money.

In the 8th century, papermaking spread to the [[Muslim world|Islamic world]], where the process was refined, and machinery was designed for bulk manufacturing. Production began in [[Samarkand]], [[Baghdad]], [[Damascus]], [[Cairo]], [[Morocco]], and then [[Muslim Spain]].<ref name="Mahdavi 2003 129–30">{{Cite journal|first=Farid|last=Mahdavi|title=Review: ''Paper Before Print: The History and Impact of Paper in the Islamic World'' by Jonathan M. Bloom|journal=[[Journal of Interdisciplinary History]]|publisher=[[MIT Press]]|volume=34|issue=1|year=2003|pages=129–30|doi=10.1162/002219503322645899|s2cid=142232828}}</ref> In [[Baghdad]], papermaking was under the supervision of the [[Grand Vizier]] [[Ja'far ibn Yahya]]. Muslims invented a method to make a thicker sheet of paper. This innovation helped transform papermaking from an art into a major industry.<ref>Loveday, Helen. Islamic paper: a study of the ancient craft. Archetype Publications, 2001.</ref><ref name="Mahdavi 2003 129–30"/> The earliest use of [[Watermill|water-powered mills]] in paper production, specifically the use of [[pulp mill]]s for preparing the pulp for papermaking, dates back to [[Samarkand]] in the 8th century.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Adam|last=Lucas|year=2006|title=Wind, Water, Work: Ancient and Medieval Milling Technology|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|isbn=90-04-14649-0|pages=65 & 84}}</ref> The earliest references to [[paper mill]]s also come from the [[Islamic Golden Age|medieval Islamic world]], where they were first noted in the 9th century by [[Geography and cartography in medieval Islam|Arabic geographers]] in [[Damascus]].<ref name=Bloom>{{Cite journal|title=Paper in the Medieval Mediterranean World|author=Jonathan M. Bloom|publisher=Early Paper: Techniques and Transmission – A workshop at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study|date=February 12, 2010|url=http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic702028.files/Bloom-Mediterranean_Paper.pdf|access-date=2010-03-19}} {{dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

Traditional [[papermaking in Asia]] uses the inner bark fibers of plants. This fiber is soaked, cooked, rinsed and traditionally hand-beaten to form the paper pulp. The long fibers are layered to form strong, translucent sheets of paper. In Eastern Asia, three traditional fibers are [[abaca]], [[kōzo]] and [[gampi]]. In the Himalayas, [[Lokta paper|paper]] is made from the [[Daphne papyracea|lokta]] plant.<ref name="auto">*{{cite book |last=Hunter |first=Dard |title=Papermaking: The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft |publisher=Dover Publications |date=1978|orig-date=1st. pub. Alfred A. Knopf:1947 |location=New York |isbn=0-486-23619-6}}</ref> This paper is used for calligraphy, printing, book arts, and three-dimensional work, including [[origami]].

In [[Western papermaking|Europe]], [[papermaking moulds]] using metallic wire were developed, and features like the [[watermark]] were well established by 1300 CE, while [[hemp]] and [[linen]] rags were the main source of pulp, cotton eventually taking over after Southern plantations made that product in large quantities.<ref name="auto"/> Papermaking was originally not popular in Europe due to not having many advantages over [[papyrus]] and [[parchment]]. It was not until the 15th century with the invention of the movable type of printing and its demand for paper that many paper mills entered production, and papermaking became an industry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://atlas.lib.uiowa.edu/printing.php|title=The Atlas of Early Printing|website=atlas.lib.uiowa.edu|access-date=2018-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215173843/http://atlas.lib.uiowa.edu/printing.php|archive-date=2018-02-15}}</ref><ref>Needham, Joseph (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Part 1''. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. Volume 5, p. 4.</ref>

Modern papermaking began in the early 19th century in [[Europe]] with the development of the [[Fourdrinier machine]]. This machine produces a continuous roll of paper rather than individual sheets. These machines are large. Some produce paper 150 meters in length and 10 meters wide. They can produce paper at a rate of 100&nbsp;km/h. In 1844, Canadian [[Charles Fenerty]] and German [[Friedrich Gottlob Keller]] had invented the machine and associated process to make use of wood pulp in papermaking.<ref>[http://www.charlesfenerty.ca/book.html Burger, Peter]. ''Charles Fenerty and his Paper Invention''. Toronto: Peter Burger, 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-9783318-1-8}} pp.&nbsp;25–30</ref> This innovation ended the nearly 2,000-year use of pulped rags and start a new era for the production of [[newsprint]] and eventually almost all paper was made out of pulped wood.