Now, a paper 'stronger than cast iron'

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London, June 7: : Punching your way out of a paper bag could soon become a lot harder, for researchers in Europe claim to have developed a new kind of paper which is stronger than cast iron.

A team at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology has produced the "nanopaper" from a biological material found. in conventional paper - cellulose. This long sugar molecule is a principal component of plant cell walls and is the most common organic compound on Earth.

"The new paper could be used to reinforce conventional paper, produce extra-strong sticky tape or help create tough synthetic replacements for biological tissues," according to Lars Berglund, who led the team.

Cellulose is extracted from wood to make paper. But the mechanical processes used to pulp wood and process it into paper damage the individual cellulose fibres, greatly reducing their strength. So, the Swedish team have developed a gentler process that preserves the fibres' strength, the 'New Scientist' has reported.

The new method involves breaking down wood pulp with

enzymes and then fragmenting it using a mechanical beater. The shear forces produced cause the cellulose to disintegrate into its component fibres.

The end result is undamaged cellulose fibres suspended