Cellophane



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Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose.

Cellulose fibers from celery, wood, rayon.

Cellophane was invented in 1908 by Jacques E. Brandenberger, a Swiss textiles engineer. After witnessing a wine spill on a restaurant tablecloth, Brandenberger initially had the idea to develop a clear coating for cloth to make it waterproof. He experimented, and came up with a way to apply liquid viscose to cloth, but found the resultant combination of cloth and viscose film too stiff to be of use. However, the clear film easily separated from the backing cloth, and he abandoned his original idea as the possibilities of the new material became apparent. Cellophane's low permeability to air, grease and bacteria makes it useful for food packaging.

Whitman's candy company initiated use of cellophane for candy wrapping in the United States in 1912 for their Whitman's Sampler. They remained the largest user of imported cellophane from France until nearly 1924, when British Cellophane Ltd was established, a joint venture between La Cellophane SA and Courtaulds, which opened a major factory producing cellophane in Columbus, OH in 1937. Cellophane is also used in gift baskets and flower bouquets.

Cellulose film has been manufactured continuously since the mid-1930s and is still used today. As well as packaging a variety of food items, there are also industrial applications, such as a base for self-adhesive tapes like Sellotape and Scotch Tape, a semi-permeable membrane in a certain type of plastic film products, even those not made of cellulose.

Cellophane sales have dwindled since the 1960s, through use of alternative packaging options, and the fact that biodegradable has meant it is returning in popularity as a food wrapping.[1][2] It is also used in the making of bendy rulers, although it is not common.

See also

References

  1. ^ at Pak-Sel Inc Accessed March 2007.
  2. ^ Biodegradable cellophane at Green Earth Office Supply. Accessed March 2007.
 
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