Anyone tried the new Breathing Color Bagasse smooth/textured paper?

[shadowblade]

Just saw some unprinted samples of these today. They look pretty nice - a brighter white than Pura Smooth/Velvet, yet still OBA free. Apparently it's the Breathing Color coating on a paper base made by Hahnemuhle, partly made from cotton rag and partly from recycled sugar cane.

Has anyone tried it? The Breathing Color coating is pretty much second-to-none for matte paper, Hahnemuhle makes fantastic paper bases and the brighter white point is nice, but I'm not too sure about a paper base that's essentially 50% agricultural waste (not sure if it's processed down to alpha-cellulose - if so, they certainly haven't made a point of it).

[BrianWJH]

There is this old thread discussing the release of a sugar cane based paper by Hahnemuhle, it has been discontinued in the Hahnnemuhle range not sure why.

[shadowblade]

There is this old thread discussing the release of a sugar cane based paper by Hahnemuhle, it has been discontinued in the Hahnnemuhle range not sure why.

I wonder if it's the same paper base as the defunct Hahnemuhle paper, calendared differently for the smooth and textured version, coated with Breathing Color's coating. The Hahnemuhle paper is physically appealing and did very well in light fastness tests, as does Breathing Color's coating, both in terms of gamut and longevity (Lyve and Chromata White both do very well, as do Optica One and Elegance Velvet when you take away the contribution of OBA fade; I don't believe Aardenburg has tested the Pura papers).

But I wonder about the physical strength and durability of a paper where 50% of the fibres have been mashed, pounded, ground up and otherwise abused in a sugar mill.

[hugowolf]

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But I wonder about the physical strength and durability of a paper where 50% of the fibres have been mashed, pounded, ground up and otherwise abused in a sugar mill.

As opposed to being mashed, pounded, ground up and otherwise abused at a paper mill?

In paper making Bagasse is basically used as a substitute for soft wood pulp. It is very different from cotton, which is more than 90% cellulose. It has around about the same cellulose content as wood pulp, around 50%, and like wood pulp it has lignin content, which if not removed gives bagasse one of its most desirable attributes for packaging, etc; it biodegrades quite rapidly compared to products like styrofoam.

Brian A

[shadowblade]

As opposed to being mashed, pounded, ground up and otherwise abused at a paper mill?

Better to go through that once (in a controlled fashion for the express purpose of making paper) then twice (once in an uncontrolled environment for extracting sugar, with no concern for the condition of the residue, then again in the paper mill). Like how recycled paper is never as strong as non-recycled paper - all the fibres are already damaged. Unless this is a different process.

In paper making Bagasse is basically used as a substitute for soft wood pulp. It is very different from cotton, which is more than 90% cellulose. It has around about the same cellulose content as wood pulp, around 50%, and like wood pulp it has lignin content, which if not removed gives bagasse one of its most desirable attributes for packaging, etc; it biodegrades quite rapidly compared to products like styrofoam.

Brian A

Do you think all the lignin is removed to reduce the Bagasse to alpha-cellulose? Because the last thing you want in a photo paper is biodegradation...

[hugowolf]

Better to go through that once (in a controlled fashion for the express purpose of making paper) then twice (once in an uncontrolled environment for extracting sugar, with no concern for the condition of the residue, then again in the paper mill). Like how recycled paper is never as strong as non-recycled paper - all the fibres are already damaged. Unless this is a different process.

I have seen heaps of bagasse waste. It isn't ground up. It is long, fibrous, smashed cane.

Do you think all the lignin is removed to reduce the Bagasse to alpha-cellulose? Because the last thing you want in a photo paper is biodegradation...

If the processing is anything like wood pulp, then it is mostly chemical. It is not only the lignin that needs to be removed, but also the hemicellulose.

[shadowblade]

I have seen heaps of bagasse waste. It isn't ground up. It is long, fibrous, smashed cane.

If the processing is anything like wood pulp, then it is mostly chemical. It is not only the lignin that needs to be removed, but also the hemicellulose.

Fair enough. Was just wondering if it was subjected to extreme heat or anything to extract the sugar, and whether its treatment leaves the fibres in a better or worse state than passing pine logs through a woodchipper.

Do you know if the final product ends up any weaker/more brittle than 100% cotton rag papers?