Three students from Yew Wah School of Shanghai Changning in China won the Best in Region award for their investigation into the feasibility of using Cladophora (algae) build-up in water bodies to make paper.
Inspired by their research into the environmental effects of excessive Cladophora in local rivers, Devin Guan, Angel Huang and Andy Bai wanted to investigate whether the large amounts of algae could be used to make sustainable paper. Adapting ancient Chinese papermaking techniques to fashion the Cladophora into sheets, the team tested its tensile strength, flexibility, and water absorption property against traditional Chinese rice paper, tissues, sulphate paper, waterproof cardboard, and sketch paper.
With tweaks to their design throughout the process, the team found that their Cladophora paper had enough tensile strength and flexibility to make it useful for daily needs – such as writing – while also possessing good water absorption, for activities such as cleaning.
The judges were impressed by the team’s analysis and the way it informed the iteration of their paper prototype.
Team member, Devin Guan said: 'The part I enjoyed most about this research was combining classical culture with modern issues. The teachers encouraged us to learn from classical culture and adapt it to modern contexts. Through continuous experimentation, we realised that ancient techniques alone often fail to address contemporary challenges – innovation is key.'