Are agricultural fibers appropriate for all types of printing and writing papers?
Yes. Ideally a selected blend of fibers is the best. For example, hemp and flax which are long fibers add strength to shorter fibers such as post-consumer waste or straw residue. Bamboo (Bambusa species) is a grass whose bio-attributes are similar to pine. It is one of the main nonwood fibers used in India. Esparto Grass (Stipa tanacissima) in papermaking is best known for its porosity and strong dimensional stability. Flax straw from the linseed oil industry has been used for the manufacture of cigarette paper and other high quality papers. Abaca or Manila Hemp is a leaf fiber, a member of the banana family, and makes an extremely strong pulp with high tear and tensile strength. Abaca is used for marine cordage, Japanese shoji screens, abrasive backing papers, and tea bags.
