Elsevier

Carbohydrate Polymers

Volume 186, 15 April 2018, Pages 411-419
Carbohydrate Polymers

The effect of oxyalkylation and application of polymer dispersions on the thermoformability and extensibility of paper

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.01.071Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Oxyalkylation of BSKP modified fiber surface and its compatibility with polymers.

  • Oxyalkylation and hydrofobication improved extensibility, but not tensile strength.

  • Extensibility of the fiber network with polymers had an optimum temperature.

  • The carbohydrate polymer, starch acetate, could not improve extensibility or strength.

  • With spraying of polymer extensibility of the fiber network was increased by 4%.

Abstract

Wood fiber-based packaging materials, as renewable materials, have growing market potential due to their sustainability. A new breakthrough in cellulose-based packaging requires some improvement in the mechanical properties of paper. Bleached softwood kraft pulp was mechanically treated, in two stages, using high- and low-consistency refining, sequentially. Chemical treatment of pulp using the oxyalkylation method was applied to modify a portion of fiber material, especially the fiber surface, and its compatibility with polymer dispersions including one carbohydrate polymer. The results showed that the compatibility of the cellulosic fibers with some polymers could be improved with oxyalkylation. By adjusting mechanical and chemical treatments, and the thermoforming conditions, the formability of paper was improved, but simultaneously the strength and stiffness decreased. The results suggest that the formability of the paper is not a direct function of the extensibility of the applied polymer, but also depends on the fiber network structure and surface energy.

Keywords

Biopolymer spraying
Consumer packages
Paper extensibility
Starch acetate
Strength of paper
Thermoformable web

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