Xerox Develops Erasable Office Paper

December 8th, 2006: Who would have thought it possible, but Xerox has announced that it has developed an innovative new form of erasable office paper that can be used over and over again.

Developed by the Xerox Research Centre of Canada and PARC (Palo Alto Research Center Inc.), the experimental technology works by using special printing compounds that break down when they are exposed to a certain wavelength of light. Images written with these compounds currently disappear within 16 to 24 hours.

Scientists at Xerox developed the chemical compounds while the boffins at PARC have been investigating how to construct a device that can write the image onto the special paper. PARC researchers developed a prototype “printer” that creates the image on the paper using a light bar that uses a wavelength of light as a writing source. The written image fades naturally over time or can be immediately erased by exposing it to heat.

While the discovery may have been a hit inside the AWB a number of years ago, it could prove invaluable to reducing waste. Xerox estimates that as many as two out of every five pages printed in the office are used only once then discarded, placing a significant burden on the environment.

“Despite the ever-growing popularity of the internet and electronic-based communication, the printed page – and the use and purchase of printers – show no sign of disappearing,” said Andy Lambert, managing director of Fuji Xerox Australia. “We want to offer future generations a fair go - so the environment and access to resources and opportunity that they inherit is no less than that enjoyed by this generation.”

While the technology won’t be hitting the local office supply store in the near future, it does bode well for a future where the written word most definitely won’t be extinct.

“There is still a strong dependence on the printed page for reading and absorbing content,” said Paul Smith, manager of XRCC’s new materials design and synthesis lab. “Of course, we’d all like to use less paper, but we know from talking with customers that many people still prefer to work with information on paper. Self-erasing documents for short-term use offers the best of both worlds.”

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