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Hemp hurd fiber, a low-value waste stream from the hemp industry, has potential downstream applications as an alternative to non-renewable plastics for single-use food service ware and packaging applications. Packaging paper substrates made from chemically pulped hemp hurd, mixed in varying ratios with bleached thermomechanical radiata pine pulp were developed and tested. Handsheets were characterized using several mechanical property tests including tensile strength, tearing resistance, burst strength, short-span compression, ring crush, together with Gurley air resistance, contact angle, and Cobb60 tests. Generally, addition of hemp hurd fibers significantly improved handsheet mechanical properties. Hot-pressing of the handsheets so as to approximate molded fiber thermoforming further enhanced their performance, with pure hemp hurd handsheets having the highest mechanical properties and barrier performance. A prototype was successfully thermoformed from hemp fiber, demonstrating overall feasibility of this fibre source for molded fibre objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow and spontaneous imbibition phenomena in porous media are important for various industrial applications, including printing and medical lateral flow assays. Their quantitative characterization is important to better understand and select the appropriate raw materials. However, standard methods often require time-consuming tests, and/or expensive equipment. Different time scales must be considered, limiting the range of possible characterization tools. A novel experimental approach based on image analysis for characterizing spontaneous imbibition processes is presented. Hence, ultra-fast diffusion may be quantitatively characterized. Models are issued from the literature to consider physical phenomena at small (milliseconds) and medium range (seconds) of time scales. The obtained experimental data fit with theoretical results, providing valuable insights into the understanding of fluid flow behavior at different time scales. Furthermore, the identification of some physical properties for either the fluid, or the substrate, based on the theoretical models are possible, as the contact angle, which remains to be otherwise challenging. This study contributes to bridging the gap between spontaneous imbibition and capillary phenomena at different time scales, their modeling, and a characterization of material and/or fluid properties paving the way for enhanced understanding and control of fluid behavior in porous media. Different papers are considered to illustrate the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood-based paper fibers are inherently biodegradable. In contact with moist soil and in compost, papermaking fibers are readily broken down by soil microbes. Resistance to biodegradation is needed, as paper is used for special applications such as mulching in agriculture and forestry, the coating of construction materials, and for packing and wrapping under conditions where packaging materials may be exposed to contact with moist soil or other type microbial active contamination. A preceding study showed that paper chemical crosslinking with glyoxal, citric acid (CA), or methylated 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethylene urea (mDMDHEU) results in substantially improved paper wet strength and lower paper water absorbency. The present study examined the efficiency of chemical crosslinking treatments with CA and with mDMDHEU to decrease the biodegradation rate of laboratory paper sheets and a sack paper, both made of kraft fibers. The biodegradation was examined using a 48-h enzymatic degradation test and a 2-month soil burial test. The results indicate that chemical crosslinking is an effective non-biocidal method for making sulphate kraft paper more resistant to biodegradation. In some end-uses, improved resistance to biodegradation, along with improved paper wet performance, can enhance paper performance comparable to plastic films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper, which is in fact a very complex cellulose-based product derived from different lignocellulosic resources, is usually regarded as a simple omnipresent commodity in our lives. Wood fibers derived from trees are the most employed sources for papermaking purposes. From an environmental protection perspective, and for their essential role in our life (they give us the life itself through their foliar system supporting the photosynthesis process), trees should not be extensively cut down and they should be used less and less for papermaking. Thus, employment of non-woody alternative sources for papermaking could be exploited more as an attractive and feasible option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An awareness of the problems associated with the use of plastics can provide new opportunities for the paper industry. We have to try to enhance the public awareness of the environmental value of papers by using diverse advertising approaches. We have to collaborate to make paper more viable to replace plastics in many uses. The collaboration not only between industry and academia but also between countries and associations is essential to advance the age of paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of release coatings has been increasing in recent years because of their use in various fields. However, commercially available release coatings are regarded as non-recyclable. As a consequence, the repulping of these residues is difficult, and their presence in the recycling stream represents an important source of contamination. One solution to this problem is to use new coating materials that can replace the siliconized backing, provided that these new materials are recyclable. As a solution to this problem, the authors propose the use of alkylated phosphorylated fibers to produce an environmentally friendly and inexpensive release paper. The results show that a surface application of hydrophobic phosphorylated fibers reduces the surface free energy of the paper support, as well as the peel strength, which facilitates the separation of the adhesive tape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical crosslinking is an established method for improving the wet performance of paper. In the chemical crosslinking process, covalent bonds are formed between cellulosic surfaces. The formed intra- and interfiber bonds increase the paper's wet strength and reduce its water absorptivity. The majority of published studies concern crosslinking treatments with glyoxal, citric acid (CA), or with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA). The most severe disadvantage of the crosslinking treatments with glyoxal, CA, and BTCA is that the formed crosslinks make the fibers and the paper more brittle. This downside effect has largely impeded the utilization of crosslinking in paper and paperboard making. In the present study, handsheets made from Nordic bleached softwood kraft pulp (NBSK) were crosslinked with methylated 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethylene urea (mDMDHEU), which is commonly used in cotton fabric finishing. Similar to using glyoxal and citric acid, crosslinking with mDMDHEU notably increased the handsheet wet strength and decreased the water absorption. Compared to the use of glyoxal or CA, the crosslinking with mDMDHEU did not make the handsheets that brittle. These results suggest that mDMDHEU could be a more viable crosslinking agent for improving the wet performance of paper products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper, nanocellulose, and other polysaccharide-based materials can be excellent candidates for food packaging barrier layers, except that they tend to be vulnerable to moisture. This article reviews published research describing various chemical treatments having the potential to render hydrophobic character to such layers. Emphasis is placed on systems in which hydrophobic monomers are used to treat either particles or sheets comprised largely of polysaccharides. A goal of this review is to identify combinations of materials and procedures having promise for scale-up to industrial production, while providing effective resistance to moisture. The idea is to protect the underlying polysaccharide-based barrier layers such that they can continue to impede the transfer of such permeants as oxygen, greases, flavor compounds, and water vapor. A further goal is to minimize any adverse environmental impacts associated with the treatments. Based on the research articles considered in this review, promising hydrophobic treatments can be achieved involving silanes, ester formation, other covalent interactions, plasma treatments, and to some extent by various treatments that do not require formation of covalent bonds. The article is designed such that readers can skip ahead to items of particular interest to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An eco-friendly time indicator (TI) was developed using cellulose-based materials. The TI comprises a dye, copy paper, nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) film, and filter papers coated with NFC slurry and/or paraffin-free biowax. A suitable dye and its conditions were determined by observing the dye solutions and the migration pattern at the different concentrations. Commercial filter papers were prepared, and the dye migration rate, depending on physical properties, was evaluated. NFC was coated to control the dye migration rate of filter paper. In addition, biowax was used to impart hydrophobicity to filter papers used for supporting NFC films, storing the dye, and allowing the migration of dye. Finally, a TI was fabricated using those components. Methylene blue was selected as a dye for the TI due to its deep color and high solubility. The results showed that the key property of filter paper affecting the dye migration rate was the pore size. The migration rate could be reduced when NFC was coated on both sides of the filter paper. Since biowax modified the hydrophobicity of filter paper surface, it was used to make the NFC film-supporting paper, location for dye storage, and bottom-layer. In conclusion, a multilayered TI could be assembled using cellulose-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart, environmentally friendly alternatives, i.e., frankincense and rice starch, are recommended for usage in modern paper conservation processes during the re-sizing process treatments. Different concentrations of frankincense and rice starch were applied to paper samples before and after ageing. Multiple analysis methods were performed to ensure the effectiveness of these materials. Promising results were found, but at varying degrees according to the type and concentration of the materials. Scanning electron microscopy illustrated that the frankincense particles were completely absorbed into the cell walls after ageing. Results indicated that there was no considerable change in pH before and after treatment or ageing; the best results for decreasing the acidity utilized a treatment with a mixture of frankincense and rice starch in a 2 to 1 ratio (F2S1). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy illustrated an increased CH2 region and decreased OH stretching as a result of the bonds formed from the starch and crystals formed by frankincense, which agreed with the increased coating and strength of the paper fibers. The total color change values of all the treated samples after ageing were less than 4.5. Frankincense was found to provide strength in supporting wood fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall usefulness of the bursting energy absorption (BEA) was studied for a better analysis of paper strength properties. Additionally, the changes of the BEA during more complex deformations of paper products, e.g., preliminary or simultaneous tensile and burst, were determined. For the purpose of the research, an experimental setup was designed. The results showed that the correlation between BEA and bursting strength was linear, but the proportionality strongly depended on paper grade. Thus, a more accurate method to characterize the bursting resistance (BR) of paper was proposed. The BR parameter is described by the three following parameters: average bursting strength, average bursting energy absorption, and the slope of the fitted linear regression curve (relationship between the bursting energy absorption and the bursting strength). This method revealed new mechanical behaviors of papers related to their preloading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People often think of paper as an environmentally harmful product because trees are cut down to make it. A new generation that has grown up in today's digital society may think that the use of digital devices is a waste-free way to protect our environment. Although the pulp and paper industry is making various efforts to preserve the environment, it has not been properly recognized. Developing new technologies to produce better products at lower cost while protecting our environment is important. But it is also important to enhance the image of the pulp and paper industry in the eyes of the public. The pulp and paper industry's efforts to reforestation for raw materials and to expand the recycling of waste paper should be more widely introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]