Japanese researchers develop transparent paper as alternative to plastics

Photos courtesy of JAMSTEC Scenery 100 meters away is seen through a sheet of transparent paper which is 0.7 millimeters thick. A team of researchers with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and other entities have developed thick sheets of transparent paper using cellulose, a material made from plant biomass. The transparent paper sheets can be broken down by microbes into water and carbon dioxide. Also, they can be used to make containers because they are thicker than conventional cellulose-based materials. The new material is expected to replace plastics for this purpose, as plastics are a source of ocean pollution. To make the paper sheets, the team used cellulose powder made from fibers found on the surfaces of cotton seeds. They dissolved the powder in a lithium bromide-water solution, mixing it in as they raised it to a high temperature until it became a gel, at which point the material was shaped and dried. When the researchers shaped the mat ... Read full article.