The image shows the molecular structure of cellulose (3D model).
Did you know that paper and cloth actually have similar origins?
Usually, they are treated as completely different things. Paper is paper, and cloth is cloth. However, if you change your perspective a little, you can see that they both have one thing in common: they are both made largely from plant-derived fibers. Natural fibers like cotton and linen, as well as the pulp that is used to make paper, are both originally fibers found in plants. Their main component is cellulose, and they belong to the same family. This is why the differences in texture and appearance are all the more fascinating.
So why did paper and cloth become separate worlds? The answer is surprisingly simple: it was not the materials themselves that were different, but rather the ideas behind how they were made.
Paper is a material that relies on the power of water.
The fibers are first loosened and dispersed in water, then spread out as a thin layer, dehydrated, and dried. This causes the fibers to come together and form a surface. The strength and texture of the paper vary depending on how the fibers are loosened, their density, and the finish, and paper is good at creating thin, wide, and uniform surfaces.
Fabric, on the other hand, creates strength through structure.
Fibers are bundled together to make thread, which is then woven or knitted. The thickness and twist of the thread, as well as the weaving or knitting pattern, determine the flexibility, stretch, and durability of the fabric. Fabrics are suitable for wearing because they are resistant to tearing even when pulled, and can change shape as you move. These properties are created by the design of the weaving, rather than by the fibers themselves sticking together.
Nonwoven fabrics are the bridge between these two.
Nonwoven fabrics are neither woven nor knitted. The fibers are spread out into a sheet and then knotted in a different way to create a cloth-like finish. They can be entangled with a needle, entangled with the force of water, or hardened with heat or adhesive. The strength of nonwoven fabrics is that you can choose the knotting method to suit your application. Furthermore, in terms of standards, nonwoven fabrics are classified as "excluding paper." This means that even though they look similar, they have developed as a separate genre.
Some nonwoven fabrics are even closer to paper.
This is wet-laid nonwoven fabric. In that fibers are dispersed in water to form a sheet, the manufacturing method is very similar to papermaking. In other words, even though they are both "making sheets with water," paper and nonwoven fabric have slightly different targeted performance and design freedom. That's what makes them interesting.
To summarise, the differences are as follows:
-Paper is made by spreading the fibers in water and hardening them into a surface.
- Fabric is made into threads and then assembled to make it structurally strong.
-Nonwoven fabrics are made by creating layers of fibers that are held together in a different way.
Even though they were made from the same material, they grew in different ways.
Considering the history, the division makes sense.
Paper is well suited to writing, information, and packaging, and has transformed society as a thin, light surface. Fabric has refined its durability and feel as a tool for clothing and daily life. Since the modern era, nonwoven fabrics have rapidly increased their presence in areas such as sanitary materials and filters, which are produced in large quantities with targeted performance. It is fair to say that the gap between paper and fabric has been filled as their uses have expanded.
Now, let me tell you a little bit about FSC certification.
FSC-certified paper does not mean that it is safe because it is plant-based. The FSC philosophy is to establish a system in which forest-derived materials are properly managed at each stage in the process from the forest to the finished product. This is called Chain of Custody (CoC).
Cotton and linen are also similar in that they are plant fibers, but FSC primarily deals with forest-derived raw materials and their management. I think it's best not to confuse these two and avoid misunderstandings.
And when it comes to cutting-edge technology, the boundaries between paper, cloth, and nonwoven fabrics become a little more blurred.
A typical example is cellulose nanofiber (CNF). This extremely thin fiber derived from plants is expected to have properties such as lightness and strength, and is attracting attention in the world of materials. The Ministry of the Environment is also organizing knowledge on trends in commercialization, recycling, and methods for calculating CO2 reduction effects through guidelines on utilization.
CNFs can be mixed into paper, used in nonwoven fabric design, or used in a different world as a composite material. I think that because they share a common material sense, they can easily be applied to a variety of fields.
To put it simply, I think there are two key points to consider when thinking about the future (this is just a guess).
One is that, in the trend towards eliminating plastic and recycling, paper, nonwoven fabric, and cloth will each bring together their respective strengths to create compositions that are easier to recycle and that achieve the same performance using fewer materials.
Another thing is that "sensory value" such as feel and appearance and "functional value" such as filtering ability and strength will coexist on the same sheet of paper. Paper will become more like cloth, cloth will become more like paper, and nonwoven fabrics will move between the two. There are signs that we are heading towards such an era.
Paper and cloth are materials that have nurtured separate cultures.
But their roots are similar. Both are largely derived from plant-based fibers. When you look at the materials around you with that in mind, the texture of paper looks a little like cloth, and the texture of cloth looks a little like paper. If you reconsider materials not only in terms of their uses but also in terms of the philosophy behind how they are made, doesn't the world become a little more three-dimensional?
This column wasn't directly related to art, but thank you for reading to the end.
【source】
・ISO 9092:1988 ( iso.org )
Hubbe & Koukoulas 2016 (Wet-laid nonwovens review) ( bioresources.cnr.ncsu.edu )
・FSC Official Chain of Custody ( fsc.org )
・Ministry of the Environment CNF ( env.go.jp )
