The effect of the refining intensity on the progress of internal fibrillation and shortening of cellulose fibers

Abstract

The utility properties of paper are dependent on the modification of the structure of the cellulose fibers, which is achieved via refining. The most important outcomes of the refining process are changes in the internal fibrillation and the shortening of the cellulose fibers. There are numerous opinions published in literature describing the relationship of these parameters and their impact on the final paper properties. These publications have been primarily based on the results of measurements conducted using insufficiently precise methods and simple speculations. The authors of this work decided to determine the effect of the refining intensity on the progress of internal fibrillation and shortening of cellulose fibers and the interrelation between these effects. Refining was performed with a laboratory Hollander beater, which was able to apply different refining loads. Utilizing additional control equipment, the specific edge load was also calculated. Finally, the impact of the refining effects (fibrillation and shortening) on the final properties of the paper were investigated.

Scale-Up of a Two-Stage Cu-Catalyzed Alkaline-Oxidative Pretreatment of Hybrid Poplar

“…14 The shearing and compression forces exerted by the beater roll give rise to multiple effects on the disintegrated biomass, encompassing intrafiber bond breakage, fibrillation, and fiber cutting. 35,36 Increasing the extent of refining (number of revolutions) facilitates increased fibrillation, which increases both the surface area of biomass and, consequently, the accessibility of the glucan and xylan. 21 A final observation is that relatively high hydrolysis yields with higher extents of refining can be achieved at the modest levels of delignification achieved in the first stage (i.e., 21−48%, Figure 2B).…”

Enhancing the Strength and Flexibility of Microfibrillated Cellulose Films from Lignin-Rich Kraft Pulp

“…By enabling the efficient transformation of macromaterials into micro- and nanosized particles with minimal chemical intervention, this process underscores its potential for sustainability. The PFI refining step prior to microfibrillation could enhance the mechanical fibrillation of pulp fibers, producing finer and shorter fibers, improving fiber flexibility and their surface characteristics. − Furthermore, this approach can also facilitate the production of nanocellulose by lowering energy consumption and avoiding clogging in the defibrillation step . After the refining step, the supermasscolloider was subsequently utilized for additional mechanical fibrillation of the refined fibers to obtain MFC fibers.…”