Limex: limestone material to replace paper and plastic
Reading a book written on stone. You would think that time was long over and only something you would see in the Flintstones now, but the Japanese company TBM has brought this concept back. They have made a paper and plastic replacing substance on the basis of limestone, called Limex.
Paper is made from wood pulp, which contributes to deforestation. Additionally, there is a lot of water necessary to make it. Plastic is made with petroleum, a non renewable resource. These are all major problems, which TBM believes to – at least partly – solve with their new product.
The process of making paper from stone is not entirely new. The process was first developed by the Taiwan company Lung Meng Tech Co. in 1998. Their version, called Stone Paper, is made from leftover marble, crushed to a powder, and plastic. While being waterproof and untearable, it is not suited for high temperatures, so you cannot use it in a laser printer. You also cannot use it for toilet and tissue paper either, because it does not absorb water. Additionally, it is about twenty per cent more expensive than regular paper.
Limex, on the other hand, is made from limestone, which, according to the company, is abundantly available in many countries. Because Limex can be recycled, the source is nearly inexhaustible. Limex consists of about eighty per cent limestone and twenty per cent polyolefin resin, a type of polymer, so the fabrication of Limex costs less petroleum than ordinary plastic. No water or wood pulp is used in the process.
Like the Taiwanese version, Limex is waterproof and cannot be torn. It is still a bit more expensive than paper, though the raw materials are cheaper that those of regular paper. Whether this paper can withstand high temperatures is unclear.
Limex can replace both paper and plastic, but in the future, TBM wants to use the product in building material, clothing, cars, et cetera, as well. With everything around us made from stone again, we might fancy ourselves back in the Stone Age.
Photos: Japan.go.jp
Comments
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Hi, I’m a student. I was curious how did you make the paper from limestone. Did you also crush it into powder? and after that what would be the next process? Really hoping for replies to answer my curiosity.
Hi Althea,
Materia does not produce the stone paper, so it would be best to send your questions directly to either of the manufacturers, either on the website of Limex (https://tb-m.com/en/) or Stone paper (http://www.taiwanlm.com/index.php). Good luck with your project!
– Team Materia
Thank you so much Sigrid for these links I hope I could find the answers there.
Lime also can pollute soil it is not good for plant life , so paper is best, only thing we should grow more trees as lot of land is still fallow which can use for growing trees for pulp. Till tress are cut it also benefit environment and paper does not harm soil. So replacing paper may not be wise. 0
I need more information on LIMEX
Hi Amanullah,
For more information about the material, it would be best to contact the manufacturer by going to their website.
Good luck with your project!
On behalf of Team MaterialDistrict,
Sigrid
Can you transfer technology to india sir as we have rymond mill
Dear Kadernath,
Please follow the link in the article to contact the manufacturer directly.
On behalf of Team MaterialDistrict,
Sigrid