Stone paper

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stone paper is a printing material that consists of approx. 80 % by weight (approx. 60 % by volume ) calcium carbonate ( limestone ) and approx. 20% by weight (approx. 40% by volume) polyethylene resin (HDPE) is produced as a binder. Normally unusable limestone parts from existing limestone quarries are used as starting material for the production, which are ground to a fine powder. Due to its composition, the density is about 60% higher than that of paper. In printing shops stone paper is usually used in the 144 and 420 g / m 2 grammage .

history

Beginning of the use of mineral materials

The use of mineral materials for the production of printed matter goes back to Alois Senefelder , who in 1819 received a patent for a “stone paper”, which he coated with gypsum and lime powder , clay , oils and metal oxides on the surface . This paper turned out to be unsuitable for everyday use. At the end of the 19th century, several patents were awarded for stone papers, in which cardboard was coated with a mixture of gelatine , glycerine , zinc white and water and fixed with an alum solution or formaldehyde . Such papers have been used to a lesser extent as transfer printing and lithographic plates.

Modern stone papers

The production of modern stone paper, which completely dispenses with the use of vegetable fibers, began in the late 1990s and has been patented in over 40 countries. It was developed by Lung Meng Tech Co., in Taiwan and is sold under names such as Parax Paper , Terraskin , ViaStone , Kampier , EmanaGreen and RockStock . Stone paper has been marketed in Germany since 2010 and is mainly used for printing business cards, flyers and menus.

Properties and use

Stone paper has a number of advantages over conventional paper . It is oil and water resistant , food safe, antistatic, flame retardant, not grainy and tear resistant. It burns with a clean flame without turning into calcium carbonate. Stone paper has a smooth surface, which has the properties of coated paper and is therefore well suited for use in offset , UV offset and digital printing .

It is suitable for inkjet and solid ink printers . Due to the proportion of polyethylene, the paper begins to thermally deform from 65 ° C. The high temperatures in the fusing units of laser printers / copiers are consequently a problem, and stone papers are not currently suitable for this use.

Although it is not directly biodegradable, it decomposes under the influence of UV e.g. B. by sunlight over time. The life cycle assessment is assessed differently by different sources. The production of stone paper is seen as an important sustainable innovation in the regional circular economy. The Association of German Paper Mills is critical of the use of stone paper. Since the material is partly disposed of by the consumer through the misleading designation paper after use via the waste paper bin and not via the yellow bin, the introduction of the polyethylene film disrupts the recycling cycle.

A study of European paper consumption found that considerable resources can be saved by using stone paper. If the 10.8 million tons of coated and uncoated graphic paper calculated according to 2018 CEPI are replaced by stone paper made from ground calcium carbonate and recycled HDPE, the corresponding CO 2 emissions should be reduced by 64%, water consumption by 99.2% and wood consumption by 100% reduce. The petroleum required for fresh HDPE in this volume should be around 36% below the current consumption of conventional paper.

Due to its properties, stone paper is used for the production of water-resistant maps and special maps, notebooks, advertising banners and posters. Due to the tear resistance, it is suitable for stable packaging, carrier bags and garbage bags. In addition, stone paper is used to produce catalogs, menus and manuals that are subject to high mechanical stress.

Individual evidence

  1. Interview with stone-paper sales partner Peter Schmitz. Planet Knowledge, accessed June 21, 2013 .
  2. Otto Lueger (Ed.): Lexicon of the entire technology and its auxiliary sciences. Volume 8, Deutsche Verlagsanstalt, Stuttgart / Leipzig 1910, p. 288.
  3. Properties of stone paper ( Memento of the original from July 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed June 24, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.stone-paper.com.au
  4. xposeprint: product description stone paper , accessed on June 24, 2013.
  5. ^ Paper Made From Stone. (No longer available online.) Kampier.com, November 30, 2005, archived from the original on April 11, 2013 ; accessed on March 16, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kampier.com
  6. Gunter Pauli : Saving the world with ideas - University days: Blue Economy inventor Gunther Pauli on sustainable innovations. on: mainpost.de , June 23, 2013, accessed June 24, 2013.
  7. ^ Bliss: The Sustainability of Stone Paper in European Book Paper. In: Pebble Printing Group. April 23, 2020, accessed on May 6, 2020 .
  8. http://www.taiwanlm.com/page005_eng.php