Now ‘super-paper’ that’s stronger than cast iron

STOCKHOLM: Swedish researchers have created a sort of ‘superpaper’ that they claim is stronger than cast iron. Lars Berglund, a researcher from the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology, reckons that his “super” nanopaper may be used to produce extra-strong sticky tape, or even help create tough synthetic replacements for biological tissues. The researcher said that he uses cellulose – a biological material found in plants – to make his nanopaper. “Cellulose nanofibres are the main reinforcement in all plant structures, and are characterised by high strength,” he said. Berglund revealed that his new method involved breaking down wood pulp with enzymes, and then fragmenting it using a mechanical beater. “The resulting shear forces cause the cellulose to disintegrate into fibres,” he said. “As the water is drained away, the fibres join together into networks and form sheets of nanopaper.” In tests, the researchers have found that the nanopapers had a tensile strength of 214 megapascals. Cast iron – on the other hand – has a tensile strength of 130 megapascals. A research article describing the new “super” nanopaper has been published in the journal Biomacromolecules. ANI