Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have developed a new building material which is as strong as MDF but is made from shredded paper.

They say that the material could be viable for use as a new type of wall board.

The study, led by civil engineering lecturer Dr Anton Ianakiev and Dr Anthony Crabbe from the School of Art & Design, established a new, rigid composite material which is paper-based but also fire and water resistant.

As yet unnamed (shreddie board?) is made from a mixture of long strands of shredded office paper and a sodium silicate gluing agent, which protects against flame and moisture.

To make it, the two materials are mixed at a ratio of 80% paper and 20% sodium silicate and then compressed at high pressures at 90°C.

The result is a composite material that removes the need to recycle the paper and is affordable, quick to manufacture, competitive against chipboard and medium density-fibreboard (MDF) and can be moulded into various shapes, including structural panels.

Dr Ianakiev said: “It’s very important that the materials of tomorrow are designed to be as sustainable as possible. Shredded paper, which is widely available, could become a viable construction material at a potentially low cost.

“The fact that it can be used to make a rigid material that is fire and water resistant will surely make it very appealing to the construction industry.”

To further exploit the material’s high stiffness, the researchers moulded it into a ribbed pattern that greatly increased its load bearing capacity.

Dr Crabbe added: “We’re very pleased with the results of moulding this composite material which performs better than chipboard in respect of its strength, versatility and its variety of potential applications.”

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Postgraduate researcher Hooi Cheah, who worked on the project, added: “Recycled waste paper really could become an important future material for the construction industry as it is a more sustainable way of reprocessing waste paper than recycling it.”