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( Papermaking)
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a material which is used ubiquitously today for writing and packaging. In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibers in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibers is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibers by pressing and drying to make paper. Most paper is made from wood pulp, but other fiber sources such as cotton and textiles may be used. The history of papermaking can be traced to China about AD 105, when it was made by Cai Lun. Modern papermaking began in the early 1800s in Europe with the development of the Fourdrinier machine, which produces a continuous roll of paper rather than individual sheets. These machines have become very large, up to 500&_160;feet (~150&_160;m) in length, producing a sheet 400&_160;inches (~10&_160;m) wide, and operating at speeds of over 60&_160;mph (100&_160;km/h).[1] The word paper derives from its mistaken identity by Greek-speaking scholars with the ancient Egyptian writing material called papyrus, which was woven from papyrus plants. The Egyptians invented papyrus around 3000 BC. It is made by crisscrossing thin sections of the papyrus reed, which grows in the delta of the Nile river and is held together by natural glues within the reeds. Papyrus was smoothed on one side by rubbing it against a flat stone surface.[2] The development of the great library of Alexandria resulted in a shortage of papyrus, which pushed Attalus of Pergamum (who was building his own rival library) to search for a substitute for papyrus.[citation needed]
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