THE INFLUENCE OF STORAGE ON BAMBOO PULPS AND PAPER QUALITY

摘要

This study presents research dealing with the way in which storage affects bamboo pulp fibres and the quality of the resulting paper. Two bamboo pulps, cooked to different kappa numbers and then ECF-bleached to similar levels of ISO-brightness, were used to examine the relationship between refining, storage, pulp/fibre properties and the quality of the final paper sheet more closely. The results of this investigation showed that the effects of refining on pulp fibres are not stable: storing bamboo pulp fibres whilst under agitation had a considerably negative impact on properties such as tensile index, TEA, elongation and burst strength of the paper sheet. These effects were more pronounced at higher degrees of refining and for pulps with higher kappa numbers. The apparent density of the paper sheets decreased with agitated storage, whereas the relationship between density and tensile index strength was not affected. The decreases in strength properties after storage in this study are at least partly due to an increase in the number of kinks per mm fibre and a decrease in the effective fibre length and width. It should be observed that reversed latency in the paper industry introduces quality variations, and has an increased energy demand if a certain tensile index level is to be reached. It is easy for incorrect conclusions to be reached regarding the potential of substituting imported hardwood pulps with domestic bamboo pulps if they are not handled properly when used in a furnish for different final products.