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Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:31:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-10-01 Organization and planning of reverse logistics networks make sustainable processes more efficient. Thus, an important sector for connecting the collection and waste paper recycling echelons is the intermediate center. In this study, a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model, which is multi-objective, multi-product, multi-level and multi-period, was developed to optimize the waste paper logistics processes of intermediate centers. The formulation includes the following echelons: collection, considering vehicle routing with different capacities; inventory of non-baling materials; baling sorted waste and inventory of bales; selling bales; disposal of non-recyclable waste. The aims of the model include: maximizing the collected waste; minimizing distances; maximizing both the production and sale of bales, and minimizing costs. According to research carried out in the literature, the developed model is a new proposal and to implement it, the Weighted Goal Programming and Revised Multi-Choice Goal Programming approaches were used to deal with multiple objectives and incorporate uncertainty into the quantity of waste available for collection. To analyze the proposed model, computational tests were executed with instances based on real data from a Brazilian company in the sector. For all performed tests, General Algebraic Modeling System 23.6.5 modeling language and CPLEX 12.2.0.2 solver were used for modeling and optimization. The results show that this study presents formulation and technological approaches that represent real situations and provide competitive solutions to the problem. Sáo Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” [Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho] School of Engineering of Guaratinguetá [Faculdade de Engenharia de Guaratinguetá] Production Department, Av. Ariberto Pereira da Cunha, 333, Portal das Colinas Agulhas Negras Military Academy [Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras] Rodovia Presidente Dutra, km 306, s/n Escola Preparatória de Cadetes do Exército Avenida Papa Pio XII 350 Jardim Chapadão Campinas - SP Brazil, Avenida Papa Pio XII, 350, Jardim Chapadão, Campinas - SP Sáo Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” [Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho] School of Engineering of Guaratinguetá [Faculdade de Engenharia de Guaratinguetá] Production Department, Av. Ariberto Pereira da Cunha, 333, Portal das Colinas

We employed a microwave-assisted two-pot in-situ deposition technique to incorporate zinc oxide particulates in the structure of filter paper to produce antimicrobial paper. The process involved successive immersion of filter paper samples in ZnSO4 (precursor solution) and NaOH (precipitating agent) to form Zn(OH)2, which transformed into ZnO during microwave treatment. Successful deposition of ZnO particles on the filter paper was confirmed via X-ray diffraction and the corresponding morphologies were observed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The ZnO-deposited papers were tested for antimicrobial activity and were found to be more effective against Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) than Escherichia coli (gram-negative). Bacterial populations were reduced by up to 92 ± 2% and 57 ± 4% for S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. Also, it was found that the samples prepared using higher concentrations of ZnSO4 and NaOH exhibited better antimicrobial properties.

Free-standing flexible supercapacitive electrodes have practical application for wearable energy storage devices. In this paper, graphene paper (GP), a flexible electrode substrate, was prepared by one-step reduction of graphene oxide (GO) using HI solution. GP can be used independently as a flexible electrode with specific capacitance of 227 F/g. In order to make up for the shortage of GP specific capacitance storage, polyaniline (PANI) with high specific capacitance and good electrical conductivity was selected to composite with GP by electrochemical polymerization approach. This method to fabricate electrode material by direct electrochemical polymerization avoids the use of conductive binder and organic solvent. Owing to the specific capacitance contribution of PANI and GP, the PANI/GP composites exhibit higher specific capacitance when the polymerization time is 30 s and the polymerization voltage is 0.8 V. At 1 A/g current density, the specific capacitance of composite is up to 759 F/g, which is 3.34 times of neat GP.

Mitigation of global warming, energy security and industrial competitiveness urge the energy-intensive pulp and paper industry (PPI) to transform energy use practices. This study investigates how the PPI has responded to the need for the energy transition in the 2000s. Finland and Sweden as forerunners of energy-efficient operation and decarbonization of the PPI are used as target countries. Understanding of changes in energy consumption is complemented using decomposition analysis (Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index Method) and the energy efficiency index approach. Analysis of companies’ investments in energy technologies is used for explaining changes in energy production. Evidence of significant development towards the more sustainable operation of the PPI was found. Energy consumption per produced unit has decreased, i.e., energy efficiency has improved. Fossil fuels have been partially replaced with bio-based alternatives. Thus, the CO2 intensity has decreased substantially. The generation of renewable electricity has increased in both countries. Examples of Finland and Sweden indicate that the PPI has great potential to contribute to CO2 emission reduction worldwide in the future as energy efficiency can be further improved, and the share of fossil fuels can be decreased increasing the use of biofuels and self-generated green electricity at least in kraft pulp mills.

The construction industry had approached a critical limit which led to the increase of cement production. The production of cement would cause a broader environmental implication. Cement production is a major source of carbon dioxide emission. Carbon dioxide gas contributes about 63.33% of global warming since the production of one ton of cement would emit about one ton of carbon dioxide to the environment. To mitigate this issue, the research community has investigated the use of waste materials that possess similar chemical properties with cement content as a material for partial cement replacement. The use of rice husk ash has shown to be a contending candidate in the literature. Therefore, this paper attempts at reviewing the performance of rice husk ash as partial cement replacement. It could be observed from the literature that concrete with 5% up to 15% of rice husk ash showed an equivalent performance to ordinary concrete in compressive, flexural, and tensile strength. Thus, rice husk ash can be used as a material replacement in concrete and reduces pollution that originates from cement production and open burning of rice husk.

Graphene-based nanomaterials possess broad applications because of their excellent multi-functional properties. In this work, a facile self-assembling method was presented for preparing one kind of graphene oxide-based paper/hollow microspheres hybrid. It was found that most of the hollow microspheres can strongly anchored on the surface of graphene oxide paper (GOP) by an in-situ scanning electron microscope peeling testing combining with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In addition, the uniform distribution of hollow microspheres on the surface of GOP cannot only provide a better surface wettability, but also can effectively improve the interfacial stress-transfer capability between such hybrid and polymer matrix. Our work provides a guidance for the structural designs of graphene-based nanomaterials and broaden their applications.

With the increased awareness of reusing solid wastes for higher sustainability and the concern of water pollution associated with phosphorus over-emission, there are strong interests in developing solid waste based adsorbents for purifying phosphorus-containing wastewater. As a rich calcium resource, paper mill sludge (i.e., a major solid waste from pulping industry) can be used as phosphorus removal adsorbent after calcination. Thus, in this work, a simple and clean thermally treating route has been proposed for preparing calcium-containing biochar from paper mill sludge. The effect of the physicochemical properties of paper mill sludge and its carbonization condition on phosphorus adsorption has been analyzed. Moreover, the influence of some key adsorption parameters, e.g., biochar dosage, initial pH of solution, co-existing anions, initial phosphorus concentration and contact time has also been investigated. The results showed that the phosphorus adsorption data could be fitted well with pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isothermal models. The calculated maximum adsorption capacity of the as-prepared optimal calcium-containing biochar could reach to 68.49 mg·g−1 at 25 °C. Combined with the characterization results, it can be reasonably inferred that the adsorption process was chemisorption-dominated. Lastly, the application of this spent adsorbent in agriculture field has also been discussed. In brief, this work provided a feasible strategy for converting paper mill solid waste to an environmental functional material (i.e., calcium-rich biochar) for remediation of eutrophic water.

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) can reduce nitrogen at ambient pressure and temperature. In this study, we treated effluent from a paper mill in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and monitored the abundance and activity of NFB with a view to producing a sludge that could work as a biofertilizer. Four reactors were inoculated with activated sludge enriched with NFB and fed with a high C/N waste (100:0.5) from a paper mill. Though the reactors were able to reduce the organic load of the wastewater by up to 89%, they did not have any nitrogen-fixing activity and showed a decrease in the putative number of NFB (quantified with qPCR). The most abundant species in the reactors treating high C/N paper mill wastewater was identified by Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing as Methyloversatilis sp. (relative abundance of 4.4%). Nitrogen fixation was observed when the C/N ratio was increased by adding sucrose. We suspect that real-world biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) will only occur where there is a C/N ratio ≤100:0.07. Consequently, operators should actively avoid adding or allowing nitrogen in the waste streams if they wish to valorize their sludge and reduce running costs. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Efficient biological wastewater treatment of low nitrogen paper mill effluent was achieved without nutrient supplementation. The sludge was still capable of fixing nitrogen although this process was not observed in the wastewater treatment system. This high C/N wastewater treatment technology could be used with effluents from cassava flour, olive oil, wine and dairy industries.

Cellulose based nanomaterials have the great potential to be applied to paper as bulk additive or coating material to improve overall final properties, especially in secondary fiber. In the present work, the effect of applying different kinds of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) to papers obtained from recycled fibers using size press on physical, mechanical and barrier properties was investigated and compared with the sole use of starch as coating material. The coating process of CNF was carried out by the addition of size press grade starch to coating suspension. As a cellulose source, wheat straw was evaluated and CNF was obtained through oxidative and enzymatic pretreatments. Results indicate that starch/CNF suspension improves the overall paper properties. As a result of the deposition of coating suspension contains of 4 % wt. periodate-oxidized CNF onto paper surface, tensile and burst indices of papersheets increased as 52.2 % and 194.4 %. Significant decreases were observed in air permeability as 69.8 %. Compression tests also have been conducted to evaluate papersheets end-use properties. In comparison to the other pretreated CNF, due to is lower viscosity, applying periodate-oxidized CNF as size press significantly increased the mechanical properties of the papers fabricated from the recycled pulps. TUBITAK-TEYDEBTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [1505]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Technology and Innovation Funding Programs Directorate [1505, 5180044] This work was supported by TUBITAK-TEYDEB 1505 (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Technology and Innovation Funding Programs Directorate 1505), Project No. 5180044. WOS:000703585400013 2-s2.0-85108063350

This study optimizes a novel surfactant-assisted green liquor dregs (GLD) pretreatment of paper mill sludge (PMS), both of which are wastes from the kraft pulping industry, using a combined Response Surface Methodology (RSM) design. Optimized conditions give a maximal reducing sugar release of 16.38 g/L. A substantial reduction in heavy metals aluminum, chromium, cobalt, arsenic, lead, and copper after pretreatment illustrates the enhancement of substrate digestibility by reducing toxic elements. Separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) for hydrogen production are assessed. SSF produced a hydrogen yield of 3.72 mL/g, displaying a 36.26% increase from pretreated PMS compared to SHF. These findings provide insights into possible methods of reducing process duration, energy input, and costs incurred with waste disposal within the paper industry. Furthermore, improved hydrogen yield using an SSF process demonstrates the potential beneficiation of pulp and paper GLD and PMS wastes.

The fiber of paper mulberry, which is mostly grown in the East Asian region, varies in both length and width—even if from the same species—depending on the country, soil, and climate where it is grown. This accounts for differences in the quality of handmade paper between domestic and imported products. Once handmade paper is manufactured as sheets, its origin cannot be determined from a morphological perspective, regardless of macroscopic and microscopic observations. Therefore, this study attempted to determine the origin of Korean and imported products using mulberry bast fiber and handmade paper from a chemometrics perspective. The inorganic components of wood are absorbed from the soil and exist in the bark of trees; thus, metal and rare-earth elements in the bast fibers and handmade papers were quantitatively analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy/mass spectrometry (ICP-AES/MS). Following this, a prediction model of their origin was constructed by applying multivariate statistical analysis, i.e., a partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) loading plot was constructed, which helped in identifying the discrimination factors resulting from their origin. According to the ICP-AES results, Pb was only detected in the Gyeongbuk Mungyeong dak sample of the Korean bast fibers. The Chinese bast fiber sample had high contents of Ca, and B and Zn were detected only in the Chinese bast fiber samples. Bast fiber samples from China, Japan, and Thailand showed relatively high contents of Al, Ca, and Na. Meanwhile, Cu and Zn were detected in the handmade paper manufactured from the imported materials. According to the ICP-MS results, among the Korean handmade papers, the products from Gyeongbuk Mungyeong, Andong, and Chungbuk Goesan exhibited a high U content and that from Gapyeong had high Sc, Rb, Sr, and Ba contents. Thus, the elemental analysis employed in this study effectively identified the origin of the papers. The origin prediction by PLS-DA for the domestic and imported products revealed an accuracy of 86.4% and 72.7% for ICP-AES and ICP-MS methods, respectively, which is deemed acceptable to assess the origin. We believe this method significantly contributes to determining the origin of paper mulberry bast fiber and handmade paper manufactured in East Asia.

Lignin/tannin/ZnONP composite coatings were designed for paper-based green packaging. Multiple functions, such as high strength, moisture resistance, low air permeance, heat endurance, UV aging resistance, and antibacterial/mold properties, were successfully integrated into one biobased coating. Prepolymerization improved the physical properties of coatings at high lignin contents. The best ingredient ratio was: 40% lignin, 15% tannin, and 10% ZnONPs (based on tannin weight), and the as-prepared biocoating was labeled LTZn-10. After coated with LTZn-10, the tensile strength and bursting strength of the packaging were efficiently enhanced by more than 3 times and were dramatically increased by 51.6 and 5.6 times at the wet state, respectively, which reveals that the packaging has favorable moisture resistance and it can be used in high humidity environments. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) proved that most of the pores on the paper were blocked by the coatings, which helped to decrease the air permeance by 10.3 times. Meanwhile, ZnONPs were evenly spread on the coatings, which endowed the packaging with excellent antibacterial/mold performance. No colony or mycelium was found in the test against Gram-negative/positive bacteria and eight common molds. Besides, antibacterial activity is only available while the bacteria come in contact with the coating and no active substances were released into the culture medium, which is a good property that can keep the cargo from contamination of antibacterial agents. In addition, the coated paper presented an improved Tg and thermal degradation temperature, indicating that the coated package has favorable thermostability and can maintain its outstanding physical properties in a wider temperature range. Lignin and tannin promoted the UV stability and service life of the coated paper, as a rare physical decrease was observed after UV aging for 72 h. The function-integrated biobased coating with favorable sustainability is a good candidate to be widely used in paper-based green packaging fields.

The pulp and paper industry’s multi-tonnage liquid waste is spent cooking liquor containing lignosulfonates, which disposal and processing remains one of the most complex environmental and technological problems, which should be solved. Lignosulfonates have unique colloidal-chemical properties, which determines their high resource potential. However, lignosulfonates’ composition instability often does not provide the properties and indicators set by the consumer. Changing market conditions require constant waste monitoring and modification, that prevents the widespread lignosulfonates use in industrial practice. In this paper, the causes for the formation of lignin-containing waste and its impact on the environment are considered. A strategy for lignosulfonates utilization has been developed, as well as promising methods for these wastes processing and disposal, which will expand the use of lignosulfonates and reduce the pulp and paper industry negative impact on the environment.

Funding Information: The financial support of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs and the National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development , Austria, is gratefully acknowledged. We also thank the industrial partners Mondi, Canon Production Printing, Kelheim Fibres, and SIG Combibloc for their support. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved. Hydrophobization of cellulosic materials and particularly paper products is a commonly used procedure to render papers more resistant to water and moisture. Here, we explore the hydrophobization of unsized paper sheets via the gas phase. We employed three different compounds, namely palmitoyl chloride (PCl), trifluoroacetic anhydride/acetic anhydride (TFAA/Ac2O)) and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) which were vaporized and allowed to react with the paper sheets via the gas phase. All routes yielded hydrophobic papers with static water contact angles far above 90° and indicated the formation of covalent bonds. The PCl and TFAA approach negatively impacted the mechanical and optical properties of the paper leading to a decrease in tensile strength and yellowing of the sheets. The HMDS modified papers did not exhibit any differences regarding relevant paper technological parameters (mechanical properties, optical properties, porosity) compared to the non-modified sheets. XPS studies revealed that the HMDS modified samples have a rather low silicon content, pointing at the formation of submonolayers of trimethylsilyl groups on the fiber surfaces in the paper network. This was further investigated by penetration dynamic analysis using ultrasonication, which revealed that the whole fiber network has been homogeneously modified with the silyl groups and not only the very outer surface as for the PCl and the TFAA modified papers. This procedure yields a possibility to study the influence of hydrophobicity on paper sheets and their network properties without changing structural and mechanical paper parameters.

In the tourism industry, the sales of local specialties is an important part, and the package design and integrity of the specialties are very important. This paper first introduced the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm that was used for detecting defects on the surface of paper packages. Then, the design of red wind packages was briefly described, and the simulation experiment was carried out on SVM algorithm using red wine packages with different degrees of surface defects. Proper parameters were tested using the k-fold cross-validation method. The results demonstrated that the properties of paper improved the value of packages and the SVM algorithm had better accuracy than artificial recognition in recognizing different degrees of defects on the surface of packages. In conclusion, this paper describes the application of paper in packages and provides an effective method for the defection of defects on the surface of packages. This study provides an effective references to the improvement of package values and the enhancement of package integrity.

Superhydrophobic surfaces have high potential in self-cleaning and oil-water separation applications. We developed a three-step method for the preparation of superhydrophobic filter paper. It involved citric acid (CA) pretreatment to activate cellulose fibers, coating with cellulose nanofibrils/functionalized silica (CNFs/m-SiO2) slurry to increase surface roughness, and grafting of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) to enhance water resistance. The water contact angle (WCA) and siding angle (SA) of the prepared filter paper reached 151.5° and 7.5°, respectively. The results showed that, compared to the coated filter paper without the added CNFs, the coated paper with CNFs had higher retention of m-SiO2, thus roughness required for superhydrophobic surface was achieved. Further test under frequent abrasion and acid or alkali conditions showed that CA pretreatment improved the durability of superhydrophobic filter paper due to chemical crosslinking between the modified substrate and m-SiO2. Besides, the prepared superhydrophobic filter paper had outstanding self-cleaning property and high oil-water separation efficiency for various oil-water mixtures. Therefore, it is expected to be used for the treatment of oily wastewater.

Graphical abstract Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is widely used for the detection of disease biomarkers. However, it utilizes time-consuming procedures and expensive instruments, making it infeasible for point-of-care (POC) analysis especially in resource-limited settings. In this work, a multicolorimetric ELISA biosensor integrated on a paper/polymer hybrid microfluidic device was developed for rapid visual detection of disease biomarkers at point of care, without using costly equipment. This multicolormetric ELISA platform was built on multiple distinct color variants resulted from the catalytic oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and the etching of gold nanorods (AuNRs). The vivid color changes could be easily distinguished by the naked eye, and their red mean values allowed quantitative biomarker detection, without using any sophisticated instruments. When this multicolorimetric ELISA was integrated on a paper/polymer hybrid analytical device, it not only provided integrated processing and high portability but also enabled fast assays in about 50 min due to the unique advantages of paper/polymer hybrid devices. The limit of detection of 9.1 ng/μL of the hepatitis C virus core antigen, a biomarker for hepatitis C, was achieved using this multicolorimetric ELISA platform. This multicolor ELISA analytical device provides a new versatile, user-friendly, affordable, and portable immunosensing platform with high potential for on-site detections of various viruses, proteins, and biomarkers for low-resource settings such as at home, public venues, rural areas, and developing nations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00216-021-03359-8.

The in-situ synthesis of calcium silicate in the fiber can not only meet the requirements for high loading of paper, but also make up and improve the reduction of paper performance caused by filling. In this investigation, the effects of pulp type, beating degree, fiber ratio, reaction time, rotational speed, dosage of lime milk and dispersant on calcium silicate loading and paper properties were investigated. The results showed that when the beating degree was 40 °SR, the ratio of softwood and hardwood pulp was 1:1, the reaction time was 60 min, the rotation speed was 600 r·min−1, the dosage of lime milk was 1.33 times of the theoretical amount, and the dosage of cationic polyacrylamide was 0.3 % (absolutely dry pulp), the ash content of hand-made sheet was 41.2 %, and the loading amount of calcium silicate was 26.3 %. Under this condition, the comprehensive performance of paper was the best.

A simple electrochemical approach has been strategically developed for in situ generations of ZnO nanoparticles using Zn rods as electrodes and hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant without the formation of any by-product. These ZnO nanoparticles were extended for remediation of pollutants present in paper mill effluents, and separation efficiency was found to be above 90% for hydrocarbons, 92% for lignin, 99% for phenol, and 93% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), as confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and COD analysis. It was also observed that the experimental setup could successfully remove 99% of the color from the sample. These ZnO nanoparticles have been proven in the past to be antibacterial and were explored for its ability to inhibit the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the effluent samples after the removal of toxic pollutants. Therefore, we proposed an electrochemical reaction for the in situ synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles for remediation of paper mill effluent as well as inhibit the bacterial growth in the treated effluent sample.

In this study, Taguchi experimental design was used to the optimize operating parameters for the degradation of paper mill effluent using electrochemical (EC) process with two-dimensional concentric aluminum tube electrodes (CATE). For this purpose, four significant experimental factors were used in four levels pH (6–9), electrolysis time (10–40 min), voltage (6–12 V) and surface area (357–624 cm(2)). The process parameters were optimized, through performing L16 orthogonal array of Taguchi technique, for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity. The percent COD and turbidity reductions were transferred into an accurate S/N ratio for a larger value is the better (LBT) response. The study presents a unique method of finding optimum combination of process parameters to illustrate their effect on the turbidity and COD reduction. The treatment conditions for the maximum elimination of the pollutants were second level of pH (7), third level of ET (30 min), fourth level of voltage (12 V) and second level of surface area (446 cm(2)). The confirmation experiment results were within the confidence intervals (CI) indicating an acceptable agreement between predicted and observed values. Based on the p-values, the electrolysis time and voltages were found to be the most significant factors for both COD and turbidity reduction. The findings of research indicated, that the Taguchi method can be used successfully for the treatment of paper industry effluent by electrochemical technique.

In this research, simultaneous quantification of cysteine (Cys) and histidine (His) using a paper-based sensor was investigated for the first time. A microfluidic paper-based sensor is a promising amino acid determination tool due to its low cost, low sample consumption, and fast analysis and is easy to make. We used SBA-15 as porous materials that are crystalline compounds formed with surfactants and TEOS as a silica source. The SBA-15 sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscope techniques. The microfluidic paper-based sensors were fabricated using a wax pen, and the mesoporous SBA-15 modified filter paper. The fabricated sensors for Cys and His determination are operated based on an indicator-displacement assay. A comparative determination study of Cys and His on the sensors was carried out. The results illustrated that the addition of silica nanoporous material led to an immediate and uniform color change. The sensors were successfully exploited in the simultaneous determination of urinary Cys and His levels, thus providing the potential opportunity for clinical diagnosis. The linear range of 1.0 to 90.0 μM and 1.0 to 100 μM for His and Cys was obtained from the calibration data. The detection limits were also calculated (S/N = 3) for His and Cys of 0.5 μM and 1.5 μM, respectively. The proposed method showed a good agreement with the results achieved by a standard method.

This study focused on the applying endo-xylanases to reduce the use of bleaching agent, coupled with the production of xylooligosaccharides (XOs), in mulberry paper making. Paper mulberry pulp (PMP) was consecutively prepared from paper mulberry bark by traditional NaOH-treatment, and two types of thermostable endo-xylanase from Streptomyces thermovulgaris TISTR1948 (wild-type and recombinant endo-xylanases) were employed in the biobleaching of PMP. This process was optimized to achieve maximum XOs yields and the highest PMP quality. The optimal condition was an enzyme dosage of 125 U/g PMP at 12 h of reaction time, both in a 500 mL laboratory bottle and a 150 L reactor. The mixture obtained from the reactor was separated as liquid of XOs derived from PMP (PMP-XOs) and solid biobleached PMP. The PMP-XOs from wild-type endo-xylanase were composed of 31.6% xylopentaose (X5), 30.9% xylohexaose and higher-degree XOs (X ≥ 6), and 11.7% xylobiose (X2), whereas 76.6% of X5 and 8.6% of X2 were the main products from recombinant endo-xylanase. The PMP-XOs derived from both endo-xylanase types exhibited high antioxidant activities, reducing power, phenolic contents, and prebiotic efficacy. In addition, the application of both endo-xylanases enhanced the brightness of PMP by 5.1% and 3.5%, and reduced the kappa number by 9.1% and 3.6%, respectively. Biobleached PMP was subsequently subjected to the NaOCl bleaching step to produce the mulberry paper. This approach could reduce NaOCl consumption by 20–25%, making it an environmentally friendly alternative. The production of valuable prebiotics, such as PMP-XOs, further enhances the economic viability of this approach.

A high-barrier, strong, and antibacterial paper was fabricated by coating the acetylated cellulose solution with different contents of cinnamaldehyde (CIN) on Kraft paper. The antibacterial, antioxidant, mechanical, and barrier properties of coated paper were investigated. When the amount of CIN added in coating reached 6% v/v, the coated paper exhibited excellent antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Notably, the dry and wet tensile strength of paper after coating was increased by 26.4 and 10.6 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, the coated papers' barrier properties against oil, water, water vapor, and oxygen were dramatically improved, especially for the water barrier rate up to 96.4%. Our coated papers with over 6% v/v CIN could extend beef's shelf-life for at least 4 days, which exhibited a promising prospect in eco-friendly antibacterial packaging.

A newly developed research topic, fabricated paper-based microfluidic sensors, was discussed in the field of low-cost environmental detection. Distinguished with the traditional dipstick or lateral-flow setups, these paper-based microfluidic sensors can serve as a tool for onsite quantitative and semi-quantitative measurements, without risks to cause environmental pollution. They have attracted increasing interest since the first easy-fabricated paper-based setup reported by Whitesides group in 2007. Most of the publications utilized paper-based sensors in clinical detection. In recent years, some groups started to use these sensors in environmental measurement, leading to precise, easy operation, low-cost, and eco-friendly methods for onsite detection. In this review, paper-based microfluidic sensors were briefly introduced, followed by literatures review and discussion for future perspectives.

The present study reports the characterization of reverse osmosis (RO) technology at water treatment plant Cogen-2 in paper and Board mills, Pakistan. RO is a commonly used process to obtain de-mineralized water for high-pressure boiler operation in thermal power plants. Scaling and fouling in three-stage RO plants is a major challenge in chemical industry due to the use of raw brackish water in the power plant of paper and board mills. In our study, the feed water quality of RO was changed from soft water to raw water to make it economical. The cleaning frequency was increased three times than normal, which was unsafe for operation and it was required to control scaling and fouling to achieve the desired result. Differential pressures behavior of all stages for 2-month data was observed without acid treatment, and the results of Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) control parameters (temperature, pH, total dissolved solids, calcium hardness, and alkalinity) clearly showed the abnormality. To optimize scaling and fouling of RO, the LSI factor was controlled in total reject water for the next 2 months by acid treatment in feed water. Duration of chemical cleaning and membranes’ life has been extended by fouling and scaling control. Understanding the effect of operational parameters in RO membranes is essential in water process engineering due to its broad applications in drinking water, sanitation, seawater, desalination process, wastewater treatment, and boiler feed water operation. The product flow increased from 18.3 to 19.9 m3/h, and this was due to a decrease in the rejection flow from 8.2 to 6.7 m3/h. The total reject stream pressure also increased from 8.1 to 9 bar. A lower value of LSI of 1.6 is obtained in the reject water stream after the acid treatment.

Rising socioeconomic level and increasing popularity of e-commerce have dramatically increased the use of cardboard packaging materials, and consequent related recycling and wastes. Large amounts of sludge (up to 40% of input mass) is formed through the recycling process, with sludge solids that are very rich in cellulose fibers (~ 75% w/w). To date this sludge is mostly disposed in landfills, resulting in added economic and environmental costs to the recycling process. Short ozonation pretreatment of RPS resulted in enzymatic release of ~ 34% of the cellulosic fraction of the sludge as sugar, and fermentation of these sugars by yeasts resulted in production of ~ 15 g/L ethanol. The solid remnants, were used as a bio-sorbent, efficiently removing dyes from textile wastewater. Recycled paper sludge waste was thus a good source for both energy and water-treatment applications, increasing sustainability and circular economy in the paper and cardboard recycling industry.

In the packaging sector of the printing industry, different coating applications are tried and investigated in order to increase the surface appearance and performance characteristics of paper and cardboard. The printability, water and ink absorption capacity, frictional resistance, light sensitivity of the visual graphical design that are going to be printed on the packaging papers are some of them. In this study, different types of cardboards that are used as a packaging material were chosen and coated with nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC)/PVA at different rates (%). In order to determine effective and economical usage conditions, the coating solutions, at three different concentrations as 3 wt.%, 5 wt. %, 7 wt.%, were prepared. The coating was applied on the test papers, which were at the same weights (350 g/m2) and had different surface properties as matte glossy, bright glossy, American Bristol. NCC/PVA existence on the coated paper surface was confirmed with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The impact of the coating, which was prepared at different concentrations, on the packaging materials was studied with respect to thickness, stiffness, water absorbability, contact angle and surface tension.

By continuously varying the structure of graphene oxide paper (PRGP) using Joule heating annealing, we are able to tune its electrical conductivity (σ) and thermal diffusivity (α) in a very wide range: more than three orders of magnitude for σ (186–503009 S/m) and 10-fold for α (8.31 × 10−7 m2/s to 9.31 × 10−6 m2/s). Excellent coherency-linear relationship between σ and α is discovered although they are sustained by different carriers: electrons and phonons. Such coherency exists over two sections: σ > 2 × 104 S/m, and 103

Currently, most of the collected waste medium-density fiberboards (MDF) is incinerated or landfilled, as economically viable recycling methods are yet to be developed. By steam refining waste medium-density fiberboards (MDF), it is possible to hydrolyze the incorporated resins and isolate a high yield fiber fraction. Further refining of the steam treated fibers might enable the fibers to be utilized in applications such as paper packaging, facilitating a cascading use of the waste material stream. To this end, intimate knowledge of the material is needed. In this study, the steam refined fibers of two waste MDF samples containing differing amounts of softwood and hardwood underwent refining and beating. The resulting fibers were characterized regarding their morphology and paper test sheets were produced to evaluate their strength (compression-, tensile- and tear-strength). Distinct differences in response to refining between the MDF samples were apparent. For the sample with the higher hardwood share an increase in strength properties with increasing steam treatment severities could be observed and it was possible to produce test sheets with comparable compression strength to recycled pulp for industrial corrugated paperboard. For the sample with a higher share of softwood, the steam treatment severity did not show any influence on fiber morphology or paper properties, and the resulting paper strength was low in comparison to the other steam refined waste MDF sample. Graphic Abstract

Cellulose nanofibers isolated from unbleached pulp are characterized by different surface properties due to presence of lignin at their surface, in addition to lower cost than isolated from bleached pulp. In the current work, the effect of cellulose nanofibers isolated from unbleached neutral sulfite and bleached soda rice straw pulps (so called UBCNF and BCNF) on improving paper sheet properties of unbleached and bleached rice straw pulp (so called UBP and BP) was studied. The effect on mechanical properties (tensile strength, burst strength, and tearing resistance) and physical properties (porosity and water vapor permeability) was studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to assist in explaining the obtained results. The result showed that using BCNF and BP resulted in better improvement in mechanical properties and also more effective in reducing porosity of paper sheets than in case of using UBCNF and UBP. These results indicated stronger bonding between nanofibers and pulps’ fibers in case of using BCNF and BP (surfaces rich in cellulose hydroxyl groups) than in case of UBCNF and UBP (surfaces rich in lignin). Water vapor permeability of paper sheets made from unbleached or bleached pulps did not significantly affect by the addition the nanofibers.

The kapok (Ceibapentandra (L.) Gaertn) seed fibre is unicellular with length up to 35 mm, however, it is covered by a hydrophobic waxy layer that limits its application in paper production. In this study, the effect of various pulping methods namely mechanical, chemi-mechanical, semichemical and chemical pulping on kapok fibre properties was investigated. Each kapok pulp was then blended with the secondary fibre recovered from kraftliner board for handsheet making to examine their reinforcing ability on strength properties. The results showed that kapok mechanical pulps (with and without dewaxing (5% (v/v) diluted detergent) and chemimechanical pulp were unable to improve the strength properties of the handsheet. Kapok pulps chemically treated with 18–25% of sodium hydroxide gave a better effect on handsheet strength properties whilst fibre treated with 20% sodium hydroxide showing the highest increment. Although the reinforcing effect of the 4% native cooked starch was slightly higher than that of the 10% kapok pulp blended in recycled paper, the recycling potential of the latter was better as all strength properties retained unchanged after recycling. The findings indicated that kapok chemical pulp is a promising reinforcing fibre source with superior recycling potential.

The development of industry and of the Internet of Things (IoTs) have brought energy issues and huge challenges to the environment. The emergence of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has attracted wide attention due to their advantages, such as self-powering, lightweight, and facile fabrication. Similarly to paper and other fiber-based materials, which are biocompatible, biodegradable, environmentally friendly, and are everywhere in daily life, paper-based TENGs (P-TENGs) have shown great potential for various energy harvesting and interactive applications. Here, a detailed summary of P-TENGs with two-dimensional patterns and three-dimensional structures is reported. P-TENGs have the potential to be used in many practical applications, including self-powered sensing devices, human–machine interaction, electrochemistry, and highly efficient energy harvesting devices. This leads to a simple yet effective way for the next generation of energy devices and paper electronics.

Research by the paper industry into new materials to expand the raw material base for pulp is on the ascendancy due to growing demand for pulp and paper products. This study assessed the anatomical...

In traditional deinking process, large amounts of chemicals are required which makes these methods expensive and polluting. Also, application of sustainable material implies the use of green processes to reduce waste and pollution. Green enzymatic deinking processes are alternatives to those technologies that have negative effects on the environment. In this work, we applied response surface methodology for deinking the electrophotography-printed paper based on a systematic experimental pattern. The individual and interactive effects of enzymatic deinking parameters including time, temperature, and enzyme dosage on the handsheet properties were investigated. Different analyses were carried out to determine the best process conditions of enzymatic deinking to optimize the handsheet properties (i.e., tensile, burst, whiteness, and brightness). The obtained responses of an oven-dried fiber at 45 min, 43 °C and the enzyme concentration of 1 mg/15 g were 12.44, 0.65, 72.20, and 87 for tensile strength, burst strength, whiteness, and brightness, respectively. Measuring the optical density of the deinked handset after printing showed that the printability of the deinked paper is in the desired range.

Cellulose triacetate (CTA) forward osmosis (FO) membrane from Hydration Technology Innovation (HTI), USA was tested in a locally fabricated FO system to concentrate synthetic and pulp and paper mill wastewater. The industry is among the 17 most polluted industries with intensive water consumption and wastewater generation (MoEFCC, Government of India). The CTA membrane was studied with deionized water as feed solution and 1 M NaCl as draw solution, which resulted into water flux of 5.8 L/m2h and reverse salt flux of 0.2 g/L. A concentration stepping method was used to determine the critical draw concentration with lignin solution as the model feed. There was no deviation in flux between the baseline (deionized water feed) and the lignin solution up to 1.5 M NaCl, but a marginal deviation (8% and 21% respectively at 2 M and 3 M) was seen thereafter. The average water flux after 24 h FO study with synthetic wastewater as feed solution (draw solution 2 M NaCl) was 8 L/m2h, and 80% water recovery. Similar study with pulp and paper wastewater as feed solution (draw solution of 1.5 M NaCl) was 5.4 L/m2h was with 62% water recovery. Lignin and COD rejection in pulp and paper mill wastewater was 90% and 64% respectively. The preliminary results indicate that FO is promising for water and lignin recovery from waste streams.

Paper and pulp mills generate substantial quantities of cellulose-rich sludge materials that are disposed in landfills at a large scale. For sustainability purposes, sludge materials can be bioprocessed to produce renewable fuels and useful chemicals. The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose is the process bottleneck that affects the conversion economics directly by using zero-cost raw materials. In order to study and optimize the process, the characteristics of the sludge raw materials should be first evaluated. In this work, sludge samples were obtained from paper mills located at different locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Part of the sludge samples was washed (de-ashed) with hydrochloric acid while the other part remained unwashed. The samples were subjected to multiple spectroscopic analyses techniques to evaluate the morphological properties of cellulose fibers and to estimate the total structural carbohydrate content. The results showed that the de-ashing process changed some fiber characteristics and cellulose crystallinity structure in all sludge samples. Sludge sample A (obtained from Kraft pulp and recycled paper mill region) showed a high percentage of fiber, with crystalline cellulose, compared to the other two sludge samples suggesting that sludge A is a valuable source to make value-added products. Aspen Plus mass and energy calculations performed in view of the ‘zero’ cost and the reliable supply of sludge raw materials producing 2 mol H2/mol glucose. Moreover, the results showed that extracting crystalline cellulose from these sludge samples is more profitable than crystalline cellulose made from the other lignocellulosic feedstocks. The results reported here showed that the utilization of these sludge materials would be an economically attractive and promising alternative for the production of hydrogen.

Virgin pulp is made by splitting up cellulose fibers from the woods by mechanical and chemical process without adding any recycled pulp content. The demand for trees, which are the basic raw material for making virgin pulp, increasing constantly in enormously growing paper manufacturing industry. The paper, which is made from virgin pulp is called as virgin paper and this is considered as better quality paper than the recycled paper. Now there is a need to increase the quality of recycled paper to equalize the quality of virgin paper, to reduce the demand for trees to make virgin pulp. In recycling, dispersive system is responsible for the de-inking process, which is one of the pulp purifying process which removes the printing ink from fibers. Chemicals are added in this deinking process which causes a serious problem by increasing the chemical concentration level of industrial outlet water. In conventional deinking technology, dispersive system is controlled by DCS which is quite complicated to control complex loop of operations. To overcome these problems, the dispersive system operations are controlled by PLC along with sensors which make the process easier and replacing the chemicals with enzymes will reduce the chemical concentration level of industrial outlet water and increases the quality of paper.

Rewritable paper is meaningful to the recyclable and sustainable utilization of environmental resources and thus has been extensively investigated for several decades. In this work, we demonstrated an efficient and convenient strategy to fabricate rewritable paper based on reversible hydrochromism of donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs). The kinetics and efficiency of isomerization could be well-controlled by adjusting the surrounding temperature and humidity. Monocolored rewritable paper was prepared by coating cyclic DASA·xH2O on the paper surface. Writing, printing, stamping and patterning were realized on the rewritable paper. The information could be controllably erased by treatment in a humid atmosphere. More importantly, the rewritable paper was upgraded to multicolored by combination of two DASA materials. The color of chirography was switched by controlling the writing speed.

The salivary glands are closely associated with stress conditions and the neuroendocrine system. The concentrations of these salivary biomarkers fluctuate with a person’s disease status. Until now, salivary diagnostics have been promising; however, the analytical tools for detecting salivary biomarkers have remained burdensome due to the lack of user-friendly and cost-effective equipment. In this study, we used a microfluidic starch-coated paper-based chip to isolate ɑ-amylase from human saliva. The concentration of ɑ-amylase on the head and tail sections of the paper-based chip was compared in the presence or absence of starch. We found that ɑ-amylase was highly concentrated only in the head section of the starch-coated paper-based chip through Western blotting (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We expect our designed paper-based chip will aid in α-amylase detection technologies using saliva and small amounts of other biofluids including blood, tears, pancreatic juice, and urine.

In this elucidation, we synthesized novel molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPOH1-4) that were used as organic fillers on bagasse pulp to form cellulosic paper sheets, the formation of MIPOH1-4 from the reaction of enaminone 3 with methyl methacrylate monomer in the presence of ethylene glycol dimethyl acrylate and 2,2’-azobisisobutyronitrile. The obtained MIPOH1-4 was confirmed via FT-IR and SEM with different pore sizes. And we noticed that the increase of template 3 increases the hydrogen bond between monomer and template and gave sponge surface of MIPOH4. Furthermore, the computational energies of the template with different monomers utilize DFT/B3LYP/6-31G (d) level to know the stability of polymers and hydrogen bonding between them. So that we applied that in paper manufacture through the adsorption of MIPOH4 as an organic filler on bagasse pulp to form novel cellulosic paper sheets with different concentrations and these sheets which characteristic through FT-IR, SEM, sizing test, tensile strength, and elucidation their antimicrobial activity with theoretical and docking studies. The MIPOH4 and cellulosic paper sheets showed the thermal stability and high tendency of sizability of these paper sheets and concluded the interaction between cellulose fibers of pulp with MIPOH polymer with physical hydrogen bonding.

One of the most cited limitations of biochemical detection is its poor sensitivity, owing to the relatively high complexity of micro-samples. Moreover, some samples cannot be easily self-replicated and their abundance cannot be increased through traditional technologies. Therefore, the preconcentration of low-abundance samples is a key requirement for microfluidic biological analysis. In recent years, the ion-concentration polarization phenomenon has aroused widespread interest in the application of microfluidic technology. In addition, paper-based materials are readily available, easy to modify, and exhibit good hydrophilicity. The study of the ion-concentration polarization preconcentration of micro-samples in paper-based microfluidic chips is of considerable significance. In this review, we discuss the development and applications of ion-concentration polarization paper-based preconcentrator in the past 5 years, with emphasis on key progresses in chip fabrication and performance optimization under different conditions. The current needs and development prospects in this field have also been discussed.

Industrial effluent Management is one of the major environmental concerns, especially in developing countries under rapid industrialization. The grossly polluting industries recognized by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), such as Pulp and Paper Industries, poses even bigger environmental threats, owing to quantity and quality of effluent generated. This paper aimed at analyzing effluent management practices in pulp and paper industries in India, and asses the performance variability of a paper mill effluent treatment plant (ETP), as a Case Study. Majority of pulp and paper industries found to still employ conventional methods of effluent treatment. Although, most of the parameters of treated effluent are commonly reported within CPCB’s permissible discharge limits, the treatment is usually cost and energy intensive, and produce high amount of solid residuals as sludge. For the case study paper mill ETP, the treatment efficiencies of the ETP units were analyzed under variable inlet pH, TSS, TDS, BOD and COD loads. The pH variations in the range of 6.5 to 9 had little effect of COD or TSS removal, however removal efficiencies were higher for larger inlet COD or TSS loads. The results of the study could be helpful in optimizing operation of the existing ETPs, as well as, guiding on upgrading ETPs with more cost-effective and efficient units.

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) have developed rapidly in recent years, because of their advantages, such as small sample volume, rapid detection rates, low cost, and portability. Due to these characteristics, they can be used for in vitro diagnostics in the laboratory, or in the field, for a variety of applications, including food evaluation, disease screening, environmental monitoring, and drug testing. This review will present various detection methods employed by μPADs and their respective applications for the detection of target analytes. These include colorimetry, electrochemistry, chemiluminescence (CL), electrochemiluminescence (ECL), and fluorescence-based methodologies. At the same time, the choice of labeling material and the design of microfluidic channels are also important for detection results. The construction of novel nanocomponents and different smart structures of paper-based devices have improved the performance of μPADs and we will also highlight some of these in this manuscript. Additionally, some key challenges and future prospects for the use of μPADs are briefly discussed.

Plant fiber classified as environmentally friendly material is a promising renewable engineering material rich in lignocellulose that can be employed in the pulp and paper industry as a substitutio...

Thermochemical parameters of A4-sized printing paper (AP), filter paper (FP), newspaper (NP), writing paper (WP), and reed pith (RP) samples were estimated using standard protocol to identify its fuel characteristics, and thermal degradation of the same was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermogravimetric (DTG) techniques in the temperature range of 30–800 °C at the heating rates of 10, 15, and 20 °C/min under nitrogen atmosphere. The curves of TGA and DTG exhibited four significant stages. Maximum weight loss was found to be in the second stage. Kinetic analysis was carried out in the conversion range of 0.1 to 0.7 using iso-conversational models of Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Vyazovkin, and Vyazovkin AIC (V.AIC). The average activation energies were found to be 139.90, 115.93, 212.52, 257.41, and 241.63 kJ/mol using FWO; 129.73, 103.06, 202.46, 248.38, and 231.55 kJ/mol using KAS; 145.57, 134.00, 195.29, 256, and 241.63 kJ/mol using Vyazovkin; and 140.71, 133.86, 193.14, 247.57, and 190.14 kJ/mol using Vyazovkin AIC model. Thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy change (ΔH), Gibbs free energy change (ΔG), and entropy change (ΔS)) using these models have been evaluated.

All-cellulose paper-based composites with underwater superoleophobicity and high-wet-strength were developed by casting a barrier layer of bacterial cellulose (BC) on a filter paper substrate. To optimize the pore structure of barrier layer, slow gel process of BC dispersion was conducted via acidification and solvent exchange. 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid was used to improve the wet strength and surface hydrophilicity through the crosslinking reaction between fibers. The underwater oil contact angles are higher than 150° in neutral environment, and slightly decrease under acid and alkali conditions. Combined with the micron-sized pore structure of BC barrier layer, the composite papers show good separation performance of oil-in-water emulsion. A denser BC layer can significantly improve the separation efficiency, but also lead to the reduction of flux. During the gelation of BC barrier layer, the increase in the ethanol/water ratio of the dispersion medium is able to increase the flux without obvious negative impact on the separation efficiency. When the ethanol/water ratio is 80%, the separation efficiency and water flux reach 99.2% and 1320 L m−2 h−1·bar−1 for the emulsified soybean oil with the average size of 13 μm, respectively. This type of all-cellulose composite papers provides a new idea for the fabrication of membrane materials for oil–water separation.

This paper aimed to modify the ignitability of the bagasse paper by using talc powder, 1,3-di-aniline-2,2,2,4,4,4-hexachlorocyclodiphosph(V)azane, and nanocellulose crystal. The formation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) was detected using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thermal analysis as thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) of the specimens recorded the improvement of the highest % of ash residue at 750 °C compared to the untreated one. The shape of the flame spread was studied. The ignition properties were studied for the untreated and treated specimens by limiting oxygen index (LOI) and flame chamber (UL/94), which recorded enhancing compared to the untreated specimen. This improvement was recorded either by measuring the mechanical properties (tensile strength, burst strength, elongation, and elasticity) of the specimens. The current article showed that the treated specimen was recorded the highest values compared to the untreated one in all physical, mechanical, and ignition properties, so these treatment paper sheets may be used as fire-retardant packaging materials.

Cellulose bromo-isobutyl ester was prepared using filter paper as raw material through esterification reaction with 2-Bromoisobutyryl bromide (BIBB) in N, N-Dimethyl-formamide (DMF). Cellulose esters with different degree of substitution were obtained. FTIR result indicated the successful introduction of bromo isobutyryl group in cellulose to obtain cellulose ester (Cell-Br). The surface of modified filter paper become rough and grooves could be observed by SEM. The thermal stability of the cellulose ester decreased in comparison with unmodified filter paper. Besides, the hydrophobicity of the filter paper was improved and the water contact angle increased from 73.4° to 116.5° with increasing degree of substitution. The water vapor barrier property was improved by 26 %. Furthermore, it was also found the modified filter paper possessed antibacterial activity against S. aureus bacteria. The modified filter paper obtained could be potentially used in food packaging fields and the results provide a simple method to prepare functional filter paper.

Today, the paper industry is faced with a global deficiency of raw wood materials, so alternative sources of virgin cellulose fibres are playing an important role in paper production. Agricultural countries produce large quantities of crop farming by-products such as straw, which is an interesting alternative raw material for cellulose fibres. Straw is used in many industries because of its numerous advantages: animal food industry, biofuel industry, construction industry and as artistic material. The potential use of straw production residues is of great importance in paper and printing industry. The focus of this research is on triticale straw, which was used as a non-wood fibre source for paper production. Namely, triticale straw was converted into semi-chemical pulp and was combined with recycled wood pulp in order to produce alternative laboratory papers. The usability of this kind of laboratory papers in printing industry was analysed based on line reproduction quality. This research evaluated and analysed line reproduction quality based on four line attributes: width, blurriness and raggedness. The results of this research proved that triticale pulp in laboratory papers has equal influence on line printing quality as the recycled wood pulp.

The dispute over the paternity of western paper is a longstanding problem. In Italy, a country that has a long tradition of papermaking, many cities compete for the leadership in the production of this material; on the other hand, several studies attribute to Fabriano (13th century), a little center in Marche region, the birth of modern paper and its diffusion throughout Europe. During the 14thcentury, the nearby town of Camerino imposed itself on the paper market, triggering a historic rivalry with the manufacture of Fabriano. As scientific studies on these different productions are missing, a comparative, multidisciplinary investigation has been carried out to characterize a set of thirteenth-fifteenth century handmade papers from Camerino-Fabriano area. Several analytical techniques–some non-invasive such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and portable magnetic resonance (unilateral NMR), joined to micro-destructive ones such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), 13C CPMAS NMR spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and reverse-phase liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)–have been employed in order to study the morphology of the paper documents, to identify the substances used in production process and to define their preservation state. Moreover principal component analysis (PCA) has been applied to the spectroscopic data, allowing the clustering of Fabriano documents with respect to Camerino ones and dividing the samples in two sets. This work improves and confirms knowledges on paper production in Marche region, and the experimental data collected highlight similarities and differences between Camerino and Fabriano manufactures.