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Can Straw Be Used For Paper Making?

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    Yes, it can and it is used in a big way in small paper mills in China and India. There, straw is much more plentiful and more readily available than wood pulp, which is used in the industrialised west for paper making. Straw for paper production was originally used in Europe to make food wrapping papers and newsprint and US mills used straw to produce corrugated box board until the 1960s, but it has fallen out of favour since then.

    Although using straw to make paper is quite efficient as it uses less energy and chemicals, it does present some problems. It is difficult to obtain straw without bits – and the grain, husk and leaves of the plant make it not very good quality for good grades of paper. Straw also contains a lot of silica which damages paper making equipment, which can be costly to put right.

    Straw is therefore not used for high output commercial mills but it does suit the smaller rural mill, where it looks likely to be used for the foreseeable future.
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