|
| |
| Botanical Name |
Zea mays |
| Common Name |
Corn Husks |
| Plant Family Name |
Graminae |
| Fiber length |
Approximately 3/8" |
| Fiber Type |
Grass |
| Plant location in the U.S. |
Crop throughout U.S. |
| Plant Part Used |
Seed Husks |
| Season
Harvested |
|
| Fiber
purchase |
Grocery |
| Pre
Cooking Preparation . |
Dried, then soaked
in water overnight prior to cooking. |
| Alkali Used |
Soda Ash |
Cooking
.
. |
3 hrs.. Soaked for several
days, Cooked 4 hours. Rinsed. New Soda Ash and cooked for 3 hrs.,
then 3 hours.
Cooked but unbeaten fiber was frozen in water
for 3 months before beating and sheet formation. |
Beating Method
. |
Hand Beat with mallets |
Coloring Agent
. |
None |
Sizing Agent
. |
None |
Water
. |
Tap |
Sheet Formation
.
.
. |
Japanese. 1 to 3 dips, neri
added to vat, restraint dried. Nice sheet without abaca. Added
abaca for ease of sheet formation. Added approx. 15% unbleached Abaca from
linters (beat in a Whiz Mixer) |
Drying Technique
. |
Restraint Dry Sheets |
Paper Color
. |
Light golden tan |
Yield for apx of fiber by weight.
. |
Not measured |
Historical references
.
.
. |
From Lillian Bell, Plant
Fibers for Papermaking, page 117.
"Used for paper by Jacob Schaffer in his
1766 book about his experiments with plant fibers. IN 1802 a patent
was issued in the U.S. for corn husk paper.."
"Corn was grown since pre-Columbian
times by native Americans, possibly as early as 2000 B.C.E." |
| Date |
December 11,
1999. Beth LaCour |
| Signature |
. |
Adapted from Bell, Lilian A., Plant Fibers for Papermaking,
Liliaceae Press, McMinnville, Oregon, 1990.
| |
|