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Highlights: [•] The paper surface was rendered superhydrophobic via the phase separation of green-based waxes. [•] The key steps consisted of emulsifying, coating and annealing, which could be readily accomplished. [•] The entire process for superhydrophobic modification was free of organic solvent and fluorochemicals. [•] The wax coating layer showed good transparency and mechanical durability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present study the interactions between the main constituents of the refuse derived fuel (plastics, paper, and wood) during pyrolysis were studied. Binary mixtures of polyethylene-paper and polyethylene/sawdust have been transformed into pellets and pyrolyzed. Various mixtures with different composition were analyzed and pyrolysis products (tar, gas, and char) were collected. The mixtures of wood/PE and paper/PE have a different behavior. The wood/PE mixtures showed a much reduced interaction of the various compounds because the yields of pyrolysis products of the mixture can be predicted as linear combination of those of the pure components. On the contrary, a strong char yield increase was found at a low heating rate for paper/PE mixtures. In order to explain the results, the ability of wood and paper char to adsorb and convert the products of PE pyrolysis into was studied. Adsorption and desorption tests were performed on the char obtained by paper and wood by using n-hexadecane as a model compound for the heavy products of PE pyrolysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Calendering of paper is an industrial finishing process designed to smoothen its surface so as to improve gloss as well as printability. In this article, we describe how calendering affects paper roughness on both microscopic and macroscopic length scales. We also discuss how these modifications relate to the morphology of the fibers composing the paper sheets. The characterization of the surface is carried out using an optical profilometer and two different species of fibers, as well as their mixture, are used. We first show that calendering induces modifications of the surface on all length scales measured and that these modifications are related by straightforward transformations. We also show that these results hold for papers formed from a mixture of fibers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rice straw was used as an alternative raw material to obtain paper pulp. Pulping was done by using high-boiling point organic solvents of decreased polluting power relative to classical (Kraft, sulphite) solvents but affording operation at similar pressure levels. The holocellulose, α-cellulose and lignin contents of rice straw (viz. 60.7, 41.2 and 21.9%, respectively) are similar to those of some woody raw materials such as pine and eucalyptus, and various non-wood materials including olive tree prunings, wheat straw and sunflower stalks. Pulping tests were conducted by using ethyleneglycol, diethyleneglycol, ethanolamine and diethanolamine under next operating conditions: 80% solvent, 180°C and 150min. The solid/liquid ratio was 6. The amine solvents were found to provide pulp with better properties than did the glycol solvents. Diethanolamine pulp exhibited the best viscosity, Kappa index, drainage index and burst index (viz. 956mL/g, 17.0, 21°SR and 1.23kN/g, respectively). Paper made from ethanolamine pulp exhibited the best stretch (1.99%), tear index (0.44mNm2/g) and brightness (41.7%). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

When acquiring an image of a paper document, the image printed on the back page sometimes shows through. The mixture of the front- and back-page images thus obtained is markedly nonlinear, and thus constitutes a good real-life test case for nonlinear blind source separation. This paper addresses a difficult version of this problem, corresponding to the use of "onion skin" paper, which results in a relatively strong nonlinearity of the mixture, which becomes close to singular in the lighter regions of the images. The separation is achieved through the MISEP technique, which is an extension of the well known INFOMAX method. The separation results are assessed with objective quality measures. They show an improvement over the results obtained with linear separation, but have room for further improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]