This section is from the book "Cassell's Cyclopaedia Of Mechanics", by Paul N. Hasluck. Also available from Amazon: Cassell's Cyclopaedia Of Mechanics.
Boil the paper with a solution of caustic soda, using some sort of stirring or beating arrangement to break up the felted fibres. It should then be turned into a tank and washed with water until free from alkali. If a flexible material is desired, add some soap to the pulp and boil, then add alum solution until the soapy feel has been destroyed: this will produce an alumina soap which will bind the fibres.
 
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