Fillers have been used for printing paper to improve printability, sheet formation and optical properties and to reduce production costs by replacing expensive wood pulps. However, an increased filler content will decrease paper strength because filler particles interfere with fiber-fiber bonding. In order to increase filler content without sacrificing too much paper strength in high filler content papers, the surface of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) has been modified by adsorbing anionic polyacrylamide and cationic starch in series. The adsorbed polymer layers would enhance interactions between the filler surface and the fiber surface, improving internal bonding. It was found that the modified PCC increased paper strength at a given filler content compared to the coventional method. Negligible differences in optical properties and formation of paper, filler and fines retention and drainage on the wire section were observed between the modified and the conventional PCC. However, the decreased bulk of paper was observed when the modified PCC was used.
Effects of artificial thermal aging on color variations of various commercial papers (fine paper, coated paper, newsprint and filter paper) were investigated. With thermal aging at 105 o C, most of papers showed a special trend in a * -b * plane: the a * (red-green) values of the samples were initially reduced (heading to -a * side) and after a turning point they increased to +a * side while the b * (blue-yellow) values were kept increased to +b * side (yellowing of paper). Different papers had different turning points for a * value. The filter paper consisted of a pure chemical pulp and the copy paper with OBA (optical brightening agent) showed the latest turing points. In addition, the papers without OBA showed less reduction in brightness compared with that with OBA, suggesting that OBA could adversely influence the brightness stability during thermal aging.
In this study, the beeswax extraction methods using organic solvents were examined to develop a optimal dewaxing technology for beeswax-treated Hanji. Thermally-aged beeswax-treated Hanji was dewaxed using four types of extraction methods including dipping, Soxhlet extraction, ultrasonic washing and shaking methods. Then, the aging stability of the dewaxed Hanji was evaluated in terms of variations in paper strength and in the color of the printed area with muk. The experimental results suggested that the dewaxing methods allowing solvent to flow during extraction showed superior extraction efficiency. The dipping method in which the organic solvent does not flow showed the slowest extraction rate of beeswax compared to three other methods. In terms of variations in tensile strength and folding endurance, however, no obvious differences in the aging stability were observed amongst these four extraction methods. Regarding the aging stability in terms of the color of the printed area with muk, Soxhlet extraction method showed the best performance of dewaxing.
Effects of beating and water immersion time on fiber swelling and paper properties were elucidated for the fundamental study of producing high bulk paper. Chemical pulps were beaten for various freeness and the beaten pulp was immersed in water up to 24 hours. Fiber swelling was evaluated by measuring water retention value (WRV). It was found that fiber swelling, bulk and paper strength were quickly changed at the initial stage of beating. Immersion in water did not significantly increase WRV, paper density and strength, implying that soaking in water alone could not effectively swell fiber wall. In order to swell further, hydrogen bonds between fibrils in fiber wall and hence fiber wall structure shall be broken by mechanical force during beating.
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