A piece of this China-engineered paper can survive hell or high water
Researchers in Shanghai say it’s the first time paper has been produced that can resist both heat and water
Scientists on the mainland – where paper was first made about 2,000 years ago – say they have developed a new form of the material that is fire and water-resistant.
A research team at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics added a form of calcium called hydroxyapatite, found in animal tooth enamel and bone, to change the structure of paper and give it special properties.
The researchers are now applying for more than a dozen patents for the technology on the mainland and hope the paper will be on the market in three years.
They say the technology allows the paper to repel even coffee, juice or tea, and withstand heat of up 200 degrees Celsius.
The technology is one of the latest “super materials” developed by Chinese scientists at the institute.
Another team of researchers developed a super tough material more than 200 times stronger than steel by weight from a form of carbon.