The Story of Handmade Paper – Part Three
Until the beginning of the 19th century, paper had been solely a handmade product. The resulting products were individual paper sheets. This changed in 1806 when the Fourdriniers brothers invented a machine that enabled the mass production of paper in rolls.
A demand for paper had increased rapidly in both Europe and America and the supplies of linen, hemp and cotton had become insufficient. A shortage of rags made the paper production a very expensive business and efforts were made to switch to another material. During the industrial revolution, the use of lye quickly spread and this was an important factor in the modification of the papermaking process. Lye would decompose a wood pulp and therefore wood, which was cheaper and more accessible than old rags, became the new source for paper production. The mass production of paper made of wood pulp began in Germany and Canada in 1840s. Since then, several steps in improving the chemical infusion to decompose the wood have been taken; from 1870 a mixture of hot water and sodium sulphide and sodium hydroxide was used for the wood pulp break down.
More about handmade paper:
Part Two: Technology of Handmade Paper Making