Effects of Modified Cellulose Fiber and Nanofibril Integration on Basic and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Paper
FORESTS, vol.14, pp.1-12, 2023 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 14
- Publication Date: 2023
- Doi Number: 10.3390/f14112150
- Journal Name: FORESTS
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Geobase
- Page Numbers: pp.1-12
- Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of fiber modification methods and beating degrees
on the properties of paper sheets. Two different methods were used to modify fibers: NaOH + urea
and TEMPO ((2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxidanyl) and blended with traditional paper fibers.
Subsequently, we evaluated the resulting sheets for their optical, strength, and thermo-mechanical
characteristics. Notably, we also scrutinized sheets created exclusively with 100% TEMPO-modified
fibers. The addition of modified fibers led to improvements in several strength properties, but it had a
noteworthy negative impact on the optical properties of TEMPO-treated fibers compared to the other
papers. Furthermore, thermal analysis revealed that the contraction rates of the samples increased
considerably up to 40–50 ◦C for the out-of-plane direction and surpassed 130 ◦C for the in-plane
direction. In general, the inclusion of modified fibers had a significant effect on thermo-mechanical
properties. Specifically, TEMPO modification resulted in an increase in the maximum in-plane
contraction ratio, shifting it from −0.40% to −0.59%, along with its corresponding temperature. This
research underscores the potential of modified fibers to enhance paper properties and contribute to
the development of more sustainable paper-based products.