Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi I'm Sat and I really need some help for my Science Investigatory Project which I'll be submitting to the Intel ISEF 2018. I decided to take the topic of paper making out of grass and my teacher recommended comparing the quality of paper of different paper making methods/procedures. I'm confused on what procedures I'll carry out so I need some help.

I also had this idea of making an improvised paper making machine and comparing the paper made out of it to handmade paper. My idea was about mounting a machine on a grass cutter/lawn mower that did the different processes of making paper and produced paper but I do not know if it's possible. I really need some help here.

I'm also confused on what qualities of paper I'll be testing and how to test it. My teacher said that I should focus on the outer qualities of the paper which can be seen. It'll be really helpful if you suggest me some qualities.

I hope you can help me thank you so much!

Hello, Sat!

You have a good idea to start! It's really great that you recognize the for an independent and dependent variable. I'd suggest that you keep the method the same to ensure that you have controlled data. Instead of changing the method, you could change one variable to measure its impact on the dependent variable. If you agree to this, I'd suggest changing a concentration or amount of a chemical as the independent variable to see its effect on paper quality. Paper quality can be measured via a paper quality test, some of which are described in the following links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_and_ink_testing and http://www.intertek.com/paper/testing/.

You'll need to do some research into any equipment and materials for the proper amount, but here is a rough idea of the general procedure for making paper out of grass.
1. Cut the grass and grind it with the mortar and pestle
2. Add caustic soda to release the cell contents
3. Wash and rinse to remove chemicals and cell contents
4. Add bleach and bring to the boil
5. Wash and rinse to remove the bleach
6. Form the paper

This is a link from a similar project several years ago: viewtopic.php?t=8135. You should read the responses for more research.

I hope this helps, although this was a just a general briefing for your experiment. Have fun researching, and keep asking questions as they come up. Good luck!

Kayli Masuda

As a note, there is a separate forum for advanced competitions if you would like to post there instead.

Sincerely,
Kayli Masuda

Oh I got an idea on what to do. Thank you so much for your help!