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The use of mineral-based fillers tends to reduce the mechanical properties of paper, which can limit their application. The filler surface modification is a significant treatment to overcome this limitation. This research aims to offer a novel modified mineral-based filler to provide its industrial application. The surface of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) was modified with xylan (XS), which is a type of hemicellulose, a polysaccharide consisting mainly of xylose residues. It is used as a filler at different filler dosage levels in paper pulp. Modified PCC(MPCC) was characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Field-emission scanning electron microscopy analyses. The analysis demonstrated that the MPCC filler surface was coated with XS successfully. The effect of PCC and MPCC-filled hand-sheet paper physical, chemical and optical properties were studied. The experimental results showed that the mechanical (tensile, burst, tear strength) and optical (brightness, opacity) of hand-sheet paper filled with MPCC were significantly improved compared with unmodified PCC-filled paper at the same ash content. The filler retention of PCC and MPCC fillers in paper was investigated, and the MPCC filler showed better filler retention properties in paper stock than the PCC filler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]