By most definitions, TerraSkin rock paper[paper?:paper sample maker cutting machine] isn't a true paper. Because it contains polyethylene to bind the calcium carbonate, it is classified as a polymer or plastic[plastic?:Plastic sample cutting machine] film[film?:film cutting machine], says Andrew Dent, a library and research vice-president at materials consultancy Material ConneXion.
Durable plastic film that is water-and tear-resistant emerged as a niche alternative to fiber-based paper in 1969 when Tokyo's Yupo invented the first synthetic paper, also named Yupo. The company hoped the polypropylene[polypropylene?:flatbed digital polypropylene/pp cutting machine]-based paper, which also contains calcium carbonate, would replace regular paper but it never did. "Oil was cheap," says Marketing Manager Troy Olson. "The oil embargo in the '70s changed this." Today, the film can cost two to four times as much as paper, depending on the application.
