4 ms·
When I see articles on these kinds of materials - handmade and fairly unique, but not in wide demand any longer - I tend to wonder: Are there any applications
by cr0sh 7y ago
When I see articles on these kinds of materials - handmade and fairly unique, but not in wide demand any longer - I tend to wonder:
Are there any applications for the techniques used in the making of the materials that could be applied to other modern materials that could potentially create new uses for those materials.
For instance - just spitballing - but what if a different fiber and "glue" were substituted; could a very thin "mat" of such material be made, and what could it be used for?
I'm sure I'm not the first to think about this, though...
- derefr 7y agoI think, in this case, the pertinent question is the reverse. Could you make paper out of kouzo fiber using regular mass-produced paper making techniques? (It’d likely be smoother, and so wouldn’t have the “feel” of washi paper; but it’d probably still have the properties being discussed in the article—longer lifespan/durability than regular paper.) As well, there might be other things kouzo fiber could be used for besides the uses it’s been put to (panels in shouji screen doors, and origami paper, mostly), that haven’t been tried because they don’t occur to the artisans who grow the kouzo. Maybe, due to its length, kouzo fiber has better wicking properties than regular paper fiber, and so washi paper would make a better substrate for pH test strips, for example. Or maybe the raw fibers would make a good base for a spray insulation product (presumably in combination with fire retardants.) Or maybe they’re durable enough that you could work them into a cloth, as is done with hemp.