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Hemp hurd fiber, a low-value waste stream from the hemp industry, has potential downstream applications as an alternative to non-renewable plastics for single-use food service ware and packaging applications. Packaging paper substrates made from chemically pulped hemp hurd, mixed in varying ratios with bleached thermomechanical radiata pine pulp were developed and tested. Handsheets were characterized using several mechanical property tests including tensile strength, tearing resistance, burst strength, short-span compression, ring crush, together with Gurley air resistance, contact angle, and Cobb60 tests. Generally, addition of hemp hurd fibers significantly improved handsheet mechanical properties. Hot-pressing of the handsheets so as to approximate molded fiber thermoforming further enhanced their performance, with pure hemp hurd handsheets having the highest mechanical properties and barrier performance. A prototype was successfully thermoformed from hemp fiber, demonstrating overall feasibility of this fibre source for molded fibre objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coefficient of friction for different contacting materials against skin is mainly influenced by the nature of the materials (synthetic and natural fabrics), mechanical contact parameters (interfacial pressure and sliding velocities), and physiological skin conditions (ambient humidity and skin moisture content). In the present research work, seven different types of papers used in everyday life were analyzed. The physical properties of these materials were determined through tensile tests and friction tests. By comparing mechanical properties with coefficient of friction, it was possible to conclude that the coefficient of friction is strongly correlated with the mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical crosslinking is an established method for improving the wet performance of paper. In the chemical crosslinking process, covalent bonds are formed between cellulosic surfaces. The formed intra- and interfiber bonds increase the paper's wet strength and reduce its water absorptivity. The majority of published studies concern crosslinking treatments with glyoxal, citric acid (CA), or with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA). The most severe disadvantage of the crosslinking treatments with glyoxal, CA, and BTCA is that the formed crosslinks make the fibers and the paper more brittle. This downside effect has largely impeded the utilization of crosslinking in paper and paperboard making. In the present study, handsheets made from Nordic bleached softwood kraft pulp (NBSK) were crosslinked with methylated 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethylene urea (mDMDHEU), which is commonly used in cotton fabric finishing. Similar to using glyoxal and citric acid, crosslinking with mDMDHEU notably increased the handsheet wet strength and decreased the water absorption. Compared to the use of glyoxal or CA, the crosslinking with mDMDHEU did not make the handsheets that brittle. These results suggest that mDMDHEU could be a more viable crosslinking agent for improving the wet performance of paper products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylan is primarily found in the secondary cell wall of plants providing strength and integrity. To take advantage of the reinforcing effect of xylan in papermaking, it is crucial to understand its role in pulp fibers, as it undergoes substantial changes during pulping. However, the contributions of xylan that is added afterwards (extrinsic) and xylan present after pulping (intrinsic) remain largely unexplored. Here, we partially degraded xylan from refined bleached softwood kraft pulp (BSKP) and adsorbed xylan onto BSKP. Enzymatic degradation of 1 % xylan resulted in an open hand sheet structure, while adsorption of 3 % xylan created a denser fiber network. The mechanical properties improved with adsorbed xylan, but decreased more significantly after enzymatic treatment. We propose that the enhancement in mechanical properties by adsorbed extrinsic xylan is due to increased fiber-fiber bonds and sheet density, while the deterioration in mechanical properties of the enzyme treated pulp is caused by the opposite effect. These findings suggest that xylan is decisive for fiber network strength. However, intrinsic xylan is more critical, and the same properties cannot be achieved by readsorbing xylan onto the fibers. Therefore, pulping parameters should be selected to preserve intrinsic xylan within the fibers to maintain paper strength. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall usefulness of the bursting energy absorption (BEA) was studied for a better analysis of paper strength properties. Additionally, the changes of the BEA during more complex deformations of paper products, e.g., preliminary or simultaneous tensile and burst, were determined. For the purpose of the research, an experimental setup was designed. The results showed that the correlation between BEA and bursting strength was linear, but the proportionality strongly depended on paper grade. Thus, a more accurate method to characterize the bursting resistance (BR) of paper was proposed. The BR parameter is described by the three following parameters: average bursting strength, average bursting energy absorption, and the slope of the fitted linear regression curve (relationship between the bursting energy absorption and the bursting strength). This method revealed new mechanical behaviors of papers related to their preloading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the embossing process, a fiber sandwich is compressed between embossing tools. The use of ultrasound causes a short-term increase in the material temperature in addition to causing plastic deformation. The combination of the material compression and an increase in material temperature leads to structural changes, which can be observed by the change in mechanical properties of the cardboard. This work investigated the influence of an ultrasonically induced temperature increase on the structural changes of cardboard. Using three-parameter combinations, different temperature levels were achieved with a material densification of less than 5%. Subsequently, the samples were subjected to selected physical and visual analyses to characterize the change in the fiber structure. With the increase of 124 °C material temperature there was a decrease of about 15% in the splitting resistance and 10% in the bending stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many materials of everyday use are fibrous and their strength is important in most applications. In this work we study the dependence of the strength of random fiber networks on structural parameters such as the network density, cross-link density, fiber tortuosity, and the strength of the inter-fiber cross-links. Athermal networks of cellular and fibrous type are considered. We conclude that the network strength scales linearly with the cross-link number density and with the cross-link strength for a broad range of network parameters, and for both types of networks considered. Network strength is independent of fiber material properties and of fiber tortuosity. This information can be used to design fiber networks for specified strength and, generally, to understand the mechanical behavior of fibrous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the excellent mechanical reinforcement effect of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the strong interactions between metal ions and graphene oxide (GO), ultra-robust, and high-toughness GO papers were fabricated via the synergistic reinforcement of CNTs and copper ions (Cu2+). The freestanding and flexible CNT/GO nanocomposite papers with a layered structure were readily fabricated by the vacuum-assisted filtration. After being cross-linked by a trace amount of copper ions (Cu2+), the tensile strength, elastic modulus and toughness of the modified GO papers increase 409.7%, 81.5% and 188.2%, respectively, when compared with the pure GO papers. It is revealed by scanning electron microscope and in situ Raman spectroscopy analysis that the CNTs and Cu2+ hindered the interlayer slippage between the GO sheets and promoted the stress transfer during the tensile loading. Considering the tunable and versatile properties of this hybrid carbon nanomaterial, this study will open an avenue for integrating rGO or GO papers to various applications. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Cellulose nanofibrils(CNF)/graphene nanoplatelets(GnP) hybrid papers were prepared with a simple water-based method. • CNF and hot-pressing efficiently enhance the mechanical properties of the GnP paper. • The CNF reinforced GnP paper demonstrates high electrical conductivity. • Mechanical flexibility and electrical conductivity of the papers are controllable. Abstract Mechanically flexible and high electrically conductive multilayered graphene nanoplatelets (GnP)/cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) composite papers were successfully fabricated through a vacuum-assisted self-assembly technique. The morphology observation showed that highly disassembled CNF were achieved by high-pressure homogenization of water-based cellulose slurry, and the homogenized CNF uniformly interpenetrated within the microporous GnP paper network. The analyses of mechanical properties and morphology suggest that the CNF effectively bridged the adjacent GnP sheets and efficiently strengthened the GnP papers by producing strong GnP/CNF interfacial interactions resulting from mechanical interlocking, van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds between the GnP and the CNF. Moreover, it was noticed that hot-pressing pressure is necessary to be applied on samples to produce stronger papers with higher electrical conductivity. As the CNF loading reached 60 wt%, the Young's modulus and tensile strength of the hot-pressed GnP/CNF hybrid paper were significantly increased to 9.1 GPa and 57.7 MPa, respectively. In addition, a high electrical conductivity of 26.8 S/cm was retained for the paper with 30 wt% CNF. Our approach provides a facial and eco-friendly fabrication route to produce strong and highly conductive GnP/CNF papers which are of great practical appeal as a new type of nanomaterials in various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a continuing demand for bio-sustainable and readily recyclable polymers for hot food packaging and hot beverage containers. An important candidate for these applications is poly(lactic acid), PLA, which possesses insufficient heat deflection temperature (HDT) performance, short of being fully crystallized. In order to address this issue, correlations were established for the observed enhancement in HDT with PLA resin after annealing with both thermal properties and the crystallinity of PLA (Ingeo™ 4032D) and extrusion melt blends thereof. The kinetic parameters of crystallization (reaction order, n and rate constant, k (s)) were obtained after fitting the Avrami equation. The reaction order for all of the systems had an n of approximately 3. Models derived from the Avrami equation with n ~ 3 are consistent with systems that undergo heterogeneous nucleation and subsequent spherulitic crystal growth. The addition of paper and talc did not change the model but did change the rate of crystallization. An increased quantity of cellulosic filler led to an increased rate of crystallization. The smaller particle sized fillers offered the greatest improvement in the rate of crystallization. However, the smaller-sized inorganic fillers did not appear to further improve HDT above that of the annealed blends of PLA/paper. The melting temperature for the PLA and all of the blends thereof formed containing paper from different sources of talc had identical melting temperatures ( T ). The variations in the HDTs of the composites were not found to be mirrored in the T . Annealing typically raised the crystallinity from approximately 10-15 to 30-40%. In situ determinations of enhanced moduli via annealing were performed using solid torsion bar dynamic mechanical spectroscopy, the results of which support the findings obtained via DSC. The annealed PLA/paper blends were found to be superior overall to the PLA/talc blends and are, importantly, sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integrity of materials containing packaging (natural or synthetic polymers) is essential to keep the aseptic condition of commercialized products (health care products, food and pharmaceuticals). The objective of this paper was to study gamma radiation effects (25 kGy, 40 kGy and 50 kGy) on the main properties of paper and multilayer films (polyester and polyethylene). Paper and multilayer films are components of packaging (pouches) for radiation sterilization containing medical equipment or products. Paper was the more radiation sensitive among the studied materials and radiation effects were more pronounced at brightness, pH, tearing resistance, bursting strength and tensile strength. Concerning plastic film, no pinholes were induced by radiation and the effects on the tensile strength were not significant. Although the seal strength packaging (pouches) decreased according to increasing dose, the sealing integrity was preserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last two decades, cellulose nanofibres (CNF) have emerged as a promising, sustainable reinforcement with outstanding potential in material sciences. Though application of CNF in papermaking is recent, it is expected to find implementation in the near future to give a broader commercial market to this type of cellulose. The present review highlights recent progress in the field of the application of cellulose nanofibres as additives in papermaking. The effect of CNF addition on the wet end process is analysed according to the type of pulp used for papermaking. According to the literature consulted, improvement in paper’s overall properties after CNF addition depended not only on the type and amount of CNF applied, but also in the pulp’s origin and treatment. Bulk and surface application of CNF also presented significant differences regarding paper’s final properties. This review also revises the mechanisms behind CNF reinforcing effect on paper and the effect of chemically modified CNF as additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice straw pulps produced under different conditions were subject to near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. At the same time, samples from those pulps were used to make handsheets, whose mechanical properties were measured. These values and those of brightness were successfully fitted to the pulping variables. Relating them to the NIR spectra, we found valid correlations for all parameters except the burst index, concluding that NIR spectroscopy could be used as an economical, timesaving and non-intrusive way to predict the mechanical strength of pulps before the paper sheet is made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the possibility of coating of paper using non-aqueous extracts obtained from peels and leaves of mandarin has been investigated. The extraction was carried out using non polar solvents (hexane, chloroform, dichloromethane, petroleum ether) at room temperature. The antioxidant activities of the extracts were determined using DPPH as free radical scavenger. Coating of the kraft paper was performed by its immersion in the extract solutions and evaporation of the solvents. The results showed that hexane-chloroform (1:1 v/v) system was the best solvent for the extraction and coatings. The weight of coated paper increased with an increase in concentration of extracted materials. The mechanical properties of coated paper (Tensile Strength, Young modulus, Elongation at Break) decreased in comparison with uncoated paper. The extracted materials obtained from peelleave were stronger than that of extracted materials from the peel. The antioxidant activities of both extracted materials were weaker than that of BHA. In conclusion, the extracted materials from peel and peel-leaves caused to a oily coating layer on the paper. Such coating layer with antioxidant properties has potential to be employed in active packaging, but results in a reduction in mechanical properties of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is often regarded as a prime candidate nano-reinforcement for the production of renewable nanocomposites. However, the mechanical performance of most BC nanocomposites is often inferior compared with commercially available polylactide (PLLA). Here, the manufacturing concept of paper-based laminates is used, i.e., 'PaPreg,' to produce BC nanopaper reinforced PLLA, which has been called 'nanoPaPreg' by the authors. It is demon­strated that high-performance nanoPaPreg ( vf = 65 vol%) with a tensile modulus and strength of 6.9 ± 0.5 GPa and 125 ± 10 MPa, respectively, can be fabricated. It is also shown that the tensile properties of nanoPaPreg are predominantly governed by the mechanical performance of BC nanopaper instead of the individual BC nanofibers, due to difficulties impregnating the dense nanofibrous BC network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the impact of moisture on mechanical properties of insulation paper. According to the molecular modeling approach proposed by Theodorou, the amorphous cellulose models of insulation paper with different moisture contents were built up to calculate mechanical parameters and hydrogen bond networks. And relevant conclusions could be drawn through further analysis on these calculation results: water molecules can destroy hydrogen bond network between the neighboring cellulose molecules, which might be responsible for the significant decrease of Young's modulus and other mechanical parameters, while no appreciable effect of intramolecular hydrogen bonds on mechanical properties was detected. Thus tensile tests were also carried out to study the moisture influence on the Young's modulus, by which the result of the simulation was approved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] In this study we prepare Ag-NPs and Ag @ TiO2 composites as antibacterial nanomaterials. [•] Paper coated by PS nanocomposites containing Ag-NPs and Ag @ TiO2 composites. [•] We conclude that the prepared paper sheet characterize by SEM, EDAX and mechanical properties was evaluated. [•] Paper sheet coated by PS nanocomposites exhibited antimicrobial effect. [•] These Paper sheet can be used as food packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to analyze the effects of cellulose fibers loading by precipitation in-situ of calcium carbonate over the properties of printing paper obtained from mixtures of the softwood and hardwood fibers. The effects of fibers with in-situ loading were analyzed comparatively with conventional paper loading respectively, by adding precipitated calcium carbonate into fiber stock. The effectiveness of the methods was evaluated by various analyses and investigations: calcium carbonate content, Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, X-ray diffraction, optical and mechanical properties of the paper sheets. The evaluation of the effects on paper properties led to the conclusion that, at the same filler content, the in-situ loading method gives higher opacity and brightness than conventional methods. The utilization of cellulose fibers with in-situ loading as additive, shown as a modification of the ratio between fibers with in-situ loading and fibers without loading, regardless of whether they are softwood or hardwood fibers, allowed us to optimize printing paper properties, especially regarding the relationship between optical and strength properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-coated papers without plasticizer and plasticized with polyols were prepared, and the effects of coating weight, different plasticizers (glycerol (GLY), sorbitol (SOR), and polyethylene glycol (PEG)), and plasticizer contents (20% to 50%) on the physical and mechanical properties of the resulting biopolymer-coated papers were studied. Coating weight was the most important factor affecting mechanical properties. Conversely, increasing coating weight led to a decrease in gloss and to an increase in tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (%E), and tearing resistance of coated papers. The application of unplasticized HPMC coatings (3 g/m²) on paper reduced water vapor permeability (WVP) and water absorption capacity by 25% as compared with uncoated paper. All plasticizers significantly (p < 0.05) increased WVP and Cobb60 values of the films. With the exception of PEG, no effect was found with plasticizers on TS and %E of coated papers compared with those without plasticizer. HPMC-coated papers with PEG as a plasticizer showed significantly lower TS and higher %E and tearing resistance than the other plasticized films (p < 0.05). HPMC coating improved tensile properties and tearing resistance of paper and could be regarded as a reinforcement layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Modified nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) added in wet-end paper process for the first time. [•] Mechanical reinforcement and decreased air permeability with both modified and unmodified NFC. [•] Strong diminution of water absorption (divided by more than 6) with modified NFC. [•] Multi-level properties: hydrophobicity, mechanical reinforcement and air permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensile testing was used to measure the mechanical properties of paper at various orientations relative to the fiber alignment of paper. New, artificially aged, and naturally aged paper were shown to behave as orthotropic materials, as shown by the orientation dependence of the Young's modulus, E. The Young's modulus data could be fit to a simplified equation, indicating the shear modulus is relatively insensitive to the specific orientation. The shear modulus as measured by ultrasonic measurements was similar to that measured by fitting the modulus vs orientation data obtained by tensile testing to the orthotropic equation. The inelastic tensile strength could also be described by a simple non-linear equation, and there was more deviation of the data from this prediction for brittle papers than for non-brittle papers. The extent of fiber orientation (E x /E y) could be inferred by either the Young's modulus or the tensile strength, TS, i.e. E x /E y ≈ TS x /TS y. The measured strains were lowest for brittle paper. All brittle papers gave a strain to failure <1% whereas the non-brittle papers gave a strain to failure >1%. • Paper was shown to behave as an orthotropic material for new, artificially aged, and naturally aged papers. • The Young's modulus versus fiber orientation data could be fit to a simplified equation. • The shear modulus is relatively insensitive to the fiber orientation. • The Ramberg-Osgood equation can be used to describe the stress-strain measurements. • All brittle papers gave a strain to failure <1% whereas the non-brittle papers gave a strain to failure >1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of acetylation on properties of paper made using the chemi-mechanical pulp (CMP) process. Industrial unbleached CMP pulp was provided (before and after refining), and paper handsheets were made. After drying, the specimens were acetylated on a heated cylinder at 120 °C, with acetic anhydride without catalyst. Physical and mechanical properties including water absorption, porosity, printability, brightness, D-folding, breaking length, tear resistance, and burst strength of samples were measured and compared between treated samples and the controls. The results showed that acetylation intensity was increased by increasing reaction time. Water absorption exhibited a significant reduction due to acetylation. Brightness, D-folding, and burst showed an increasing trend as a function of the degree of acetylation. Tear resistance was decreased by acetylation. The refining process improved acetylation and decreased porosity. The results indicated that most of the important factors were significantly influenced and improved by both acetylation and the refining process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of type and content of modified montmorillonite (MMT) clay and amount of compatibilizing agent on physical-mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)/organoclay films were studied. An unexpected decrease in tensile elastic modulus and yield stress was observed, and a striking drop in film density. SEM micrographs showed film microcavitation at polymer/clay interfaces. Experimental design analysis indicated that the most important parameter was the organoclay content: the higher the proportion of MMT, the lower the values of film properties. The addition of compatibilizer promoted an improvement in these film properties, probably due to the formation of less porous film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of glycerol concentration and coating weight on biopolymer-coated paper properties were investigated using response surface methodology. Tests were run on the coated papers to determine water vapor barrier and mechanical properties. Coating weight was the most important parameter affecting water vapor permeability (WVP). Conversely, increasing coating weight led to a decrease in WVP and to an increase in tensile strength (TS) of the resulting coated papers. The papers coated with sodium caseinate (NaCAS) exhibited lower WVP values than those coated with other biopolymers. The TS of the papers coated with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and chitosan was not affected by the glycerol concentration. HPMC-coated papers were higher in TS and %E than the other coated papers. For all types of coated paper, a maximum level of coating weight and level of glycerol concentration within range of 18.72–26.11% were found to be optimum for minimum WVP and maximum TS and %E. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The damage to historical documents and books caused by the acidic character of paper is often manifested as a complete loss of their mechanical properties. Deacidification and restoration of archived paper objects require knowledge of the long-term behaviour of paper before and after repair actions. Our study was focused on the investigation of mechanical properties (tensile strength, stretch, tensile index, zero-span tensile strength, folding endurance) of original papers (one alkaline and three different acidic samples) exposed to five methods of dry-heat and moist-heat accelerated ageing. The degree of paper deterioration upon ageing was significantly influenced by the temperature and relative humidity, along with the intrinsic chemistry of the individual paper samples. The correlation matrix evaluated at a 95% confidence level for tensile strength, stretch, tensile index and zero-span showed linear correlations between these mechanical properties for all the paper samples. However, a linear dependence of folding endurance on zero-span tensile strength was found only for alkaline paper, which revealed the highest resistance to the accelerated ageing tests. In addition, the concentration of paramagnetic semiquinone species in the acidic lignin-containing paper samples was monitored by Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper compares the influence of the molecular weight of polylelectrolytes forming polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) on wood fibers on adhesion and paper strength. Sheets were made from fibers treated with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) of molecular mass 70,000 and 240,000, respectively, and of poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC)/poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) of molecular mass 30,000 and 80,000, respectively. The results were compared to what has recently been reported for PEM formation on fibers using a low-molecular-mass combination of PAH and PAA and a high-molecular-mass combination of PDADMAC/PSS. There was a less significant improvement in the case of the low-molecular-mass PDADMAC/PSS and the high-molecular-mass PAH/PAA. The adsorbed amounts of PAH and PDADMAC were also determined, showing a lower adsorbed amount of the low-molecular-mass PAH than of the high-molecular-mass PDADMAC. The amount of low-molecular-mass PDADMAC was similar to that found for high-molecular-mass PDADMAC/PSS. Individual fibers were partly treated and studied, showing a less significant decrease in wettability with low-molecular-mass PDADMAC/PSS than with the high-molecular-mass combination. The effect of the molecular weight on the adhesion was discussed in terms of the structure and wettability of the PEMs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Individual wood fibres were partly treated with polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) consisting of two different polymer combinations, poly allylamine (PAH)/poly acrylic acid (PAA) and polyethylene oxide (PEO)/PAA in order to study the influence of these polymers on fibre wettability. Single fibres were partly treated and analysed using a so-called dynamic contact analyser (DCA) where the fibres are wet under controlled conditions. When PAH/PAA was used, a stronger influence on fibre wettability was detected when PAH was adsorbed in the outermost layer of the multilayer than when PAA was adsorbed in the outermost layer. The wettability of fibres treated with PAH/PAA PEMs was also influenced by the pH of the adsorption. With the PEO/PAA system, however, the type of polymer adsorbed in the outermost layer caused no detectable difference. Tests of sheets prepared from fibres treated with PEO/PAA showed an increase of about 90% in the tensile index when 9 layers were adsorbed. These and other recently published results from similar experiments using PAH/PAA [S.M. Notley, M. Eriksson, L. Wågberg, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 292 (2005) 29] are compared to the results for the PEM-treated individual fibres. The results indicate that fibres with low wettability contribute to greater paper strength. AFM-force measurements, with the aid of a colloidal probe technique, have also been performed using PAH/PAA, showing that there is also a close correlation between lower wettability of the surfaces and a higher pull-off force between the PEM treated surfaces, i.e. the flat surface and the colloidal probe. This is valid for the two pH strategies that are used for the formation for the PAH/PAA PEMs, which are studied using AFM-force measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) have been used to build-up polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) on chemical soft wood fibres and on SiO2 at various electrolyte concentrations. Adsorption onto SiO2 was studied using a stagnation point adsorption reflectometer (SPAR), and the adsorbed amount of PDADMAC and PSS on the fibres was determined using nitrogen analysis and Schöniger burning, respectively. The adsorption onto the two substrates was then compared. Paper testing showed that the tensile index (TI) increased by about 90% when 11 layers had been adsorbed, and that there was a correlation between the adsorbed amount and the increase in TI. It was also shown that the particular polymer present in the outermost layer significantly influenced the TI, and that PDADMAC produced a higher TI. A correlation between the adsorbed amount and the TI was also found. Individual fibres were partly treated with a PEM and analysed using a dynamic contact angle analyser (DCA) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effect of paper sludge content and size on the processibility, mechanical properties, swelling behavior and morphology of PP--EPDM composites were examined. Results show that the increasing content of paper sludge in composites has increased the Young's modulus and water absorption but decreased the tensile strength and elongation at break. At a similar filler content, PP--EPDM composites with the smallest size show the highest mechanical properties but the lowest water absorption resistance. SEM tensile fracture surface of composites show that the smallest size of paper sludge has better filler--matrix interaction than the larger size of paper sludge. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the increase of paper sludge content has increased the thermal stability of PP--EPDM composites particularly at temperatures above 500°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aramid fibers exhibit impressive mechanical properties, electrical insulation properties, and chemical stability. However, physical properties of the aramid paper are poor because of the chemical inertness and smooth surface of aramid fibers. This study reports a simple and efficient method for substantially improving the performance of the para-aramid/meta-aramid composite paper by introducing the N , N -dimethylacetamide (DMAc)/LiCl solution to induce partial dissolution or by adding the DMAc/LiCl/para-aramid solution to induce regeneration. Experimental results state that the tensile strength, specific strength, folding resistance, and interlayer bonding strength of the aramid paper are increased by 2.17, 2.13, 34.7, and 9.39 times, respectively, because of the dense and compact structure of the paper. Furthermore, the water resistance of the paper was also considerably improved. After immersing the paper samples in water for 24 h, their moisture absorption rate decreased to approximately 54% from approximately 143% for the original paper. Results indicate that partial dissolution/regeneration welding is a viable method for the efficient reinforcement of the aramid composite paper, providing additional possibilities for manufacturing the high-performance aramid paper-based materials. Unlabelled Image • The para-aramid/meta-aramid composite papers, exhibiting amazing mechanical strengths, were obtained. • The performance of the para-aramid/meta-aramid composite paper was improved by adding N , N -dimethylacetamide/LiCl solution. • The moisture absorption of aramid composite paper decreased from approximately 143% for the original paper to approximately 54%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]