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Cellulase-assisted refining of bleached softwood kraft pulp for making water vapor barrier and grease-resistant paper

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Abstract

The effect of cellulase pretreatment of bleached softwood kraft fiber before laboratory refining on the water vapor barrier and grease resistance properties of handsheets was investigated in this work. In contrast to no cellulase pretreatment, cellulase pretreatment at 0.5 filter paper units (FPU) combined with refining for 7500 revolutions was effective in reducing the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR, 50 % RH and 23 °C) of the paper by 83 % and achieving 100 % grease resistance over a 24-h test period. After cellulase pretreatment, the fiber morphology and hydrophobicity changed dramatically as a function of refining intensity. The role of cellulase pretreatment in reducing the WVTR and grease-stained areas was revealed on morphological observation by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as water contact angle testing.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded by NSERC Innovative Green Wood Fiber Products Strategic Network (Canada) and Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Limerick Pulp and Paper Centre, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada

    Peng Lu, Weiwei Zhang, Man He & Huining Xiao

  2. Institute of New Energy and New Materials, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China

    Weiwei Zhang

  3. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China

    Man He

  4. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, 071003, China

    Yajing Yan

Authors
  1. Peng Lu
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  2. Weiwei Zhang
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  3. Man He
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  4. Yajing Yan
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  5. Huining Xiao
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Correspondence to Huining Xiao.

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Lu, P., Zhang, W., He, M. et al. Cellulase-assisted refining of bleached softwood kraft pulp for making water vapor barrier and grease-resistant paper. Cellulose 23, 891–900 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-015-0833-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-015-0833-6

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