cellulose fibers

Ingredients

cellulose fibers, textile waste, linen rags, cotton rags, old ropes, fresh water

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The manufacturing process involves extracting cellulose fibers from various plants or textile waste. These fibers are beaten in the presence of water to create a mat of cellulose. The pulp is then collected on a screen and allowed to dry (p. 52). While semi-tropical plants were used in China, the technique was adapted in the drier climates of Central Asia and the Middle East to utilize materials such as linen and cotton rags as well as old ropes (p. 52). Warmer and drier conditions are noted as preferable for the process because the papermaker must work with wet fibers in a vat, and the water needs to drip and evaporate efficiently from the newly formed sheets (p. 52).

Evidence

"By the late eighth century paper was being manufactured in Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid caliphate in central Iraq, and its use and manufacture was soon disseminated throughout the empire."

Remarks

The introduction of paper to Baghdad and the subsequent replacement of papyrus and parchment was a significant technological shift. Paper was favored for record-keeping because it was relatively cheap and plentiful (p. 52). This material encouraged the global spread of written culture and transformed many human activities (p. 51). The simplicity of the technique allowed for wide variations in specific processes and materials depending on local availability (p. 52).