ENHANCEMENT OF STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF MECHANICAL PULPS

ABSTRACT

A new impregnation method to enhance strength properties of mechanical pulps in the absence of sulfonation treatment has been developed. Impregnation of groundwood, thermomechanical, and chemithermomechanical pulps with reactive ultra-thin film-forming silane precursors has been investigated. Silane impregnation gave the treated pulps more than 20% increase in strength properties, but the pulp brightness dropped. The effect of impregnation time and temperature were studied. It was found that silane impregnation is highly effective under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, and the efficiency increased with increasing pulp temperature. In addition, the treated pulp demonstrated its advantages over an untreated one in terms of wet-end properties. The enhanced strength properties of silane-treated pulps are possibly due to an increase in fiber-to-fiber bonding.

Keywords:

• Mechanical pulp
• Impregnation
• Silane
• Strength
• Wet-end properties

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors sincerely thank NSERC, Canada, for providing financial assistance in this project.