A comparison analysis of the paperboard properties: bagasse versus recycled paperboards

Global sustainability megatrends are promoting the utilization of sustainably perceived fibers such as recycled and agricultural residue fibers in hygiene tissue applications. Tissue paper products advertised as sustainable have higher prices and inferior performance than conventional products manufactured from virgin wood fibers. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using agricultural residues from fique plantations (Furcraea microphylla genus) as an alternative to Northern Bleached Softwood Fibers (NBSK) in high-performance hygiene tissue applications. For our study, fiber residues were mechanically cleaned and upgraded to a tissue pulp using a simple pulping and bleaching process. A complete characterization of tissue paper properties (bulk, softness, water absorbency, tensile strength) was performed and compared against the NBSK market pulp. Additionally, fique residue pulp was blended with Bleached Eucalyptus Kraft (BEK) to match the performance of a selected benchmark consisting of 70% BEK and 30% NBSK. Results indicate fique residue bleached pulp has similar fiber morphology and comparable strength properties in terms of the tensile strength (+ 6%) and tear strength (+ 10%), but superior bulk (+ 12%), water absorbency (+ 28%), and softness (−29% TS7 values) than NBSK pulp. A fiber blend of 70% BEK and 30% fique residue showed superior tensile strength (+ 21%), tear strength (+ 54%), bulk (+ 5.5%), water absorbency (+ 1.5%), and softness (−8.7% TS7 values) over a similar fiber blend of BEK and NBSK. Our findings demonstrate that fibers from fique residue can substitute NBSK in hygiene tissue applications. Upgrading residues from fique fibers as raw materials for the tissue industry can bridge the gap between sustainability and product performance, simultaneously opening the possibility of new revenue streams for millions of small farmers in the producing countries.

Biopolymer-based UV protection functional films for food packaging

This paper presents preliminary results on the possibility of incorporating stranded macroalgae into the papermaking process; analyses of the physical-mechanical properties of filter paper, with the addition of stranded macrophytic marine algae from Ulva rigida species obtained previously; results of SEM–EDX analyses of filter paper samples; and results obtained from the filtration of a wastewater from the metallurgical industry, using the improved filter paper samples. In the filter paper recipe, stranded macrophytic seaweed of the species Ulva rigida was added at different percentages of 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 4% and 8%, and the addition was calculated in relation to the absolute dry material. The physicomechanical properties analyzed are grammage, thickness, density, moisture, ash content, breaking load, breaking length, tear resistance, bursting resistance, folding endurance, porosity, smoothness, water absorption and Cobb60 index. Additional information related to the homogeneity of the distribution of elements in the paper mass was obtained by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDX). The addition of macroalgae to the paper mass improved the strength characteristics of the paper, such as breaking load, breaking length, tearing resistance, folding endurance and water absorption. Following industrial wastewater filtration using filter paper with added seaweed, positive results were obtained in terms of reduction of total Cr, Cu, total Fe and Zn concentrations.

A semicommercial scale study has been made at the National Bureau of Standards of the manufacture of bond types of papers from commercial highly purified wood firbers for uses requiring permanency. As a part of the investigation, the experimental papers produced were tested for strength, chemical purity, and aging properties. The strength tests included bursting, tensile, and tearing strength and folding endurance. The chemical-purity tests included alpha cellulose content, copper number, acidity, and quantitative tests for the sizing materials present. The accelerated aging test used consisted of heating the papers in air to a temperature of 100°C. for 72 hours, and then measuring the extent of change in the various strength and chemical properties. By studying the effects of variations in beating conditions on the properties of finished papers a method of beating well adapted for this kind of fiber was evolved. The papers had excellent strength properties, exceeding, in the case of the bond papers, the strength requirements of the highest-grade bond papers purchased by the Government Printing Office (U.S.A.) and, in the case of the currency-type papers, the strength requirements for United States currency. The experimental papers possessed also other characteristics desirable in these types of paper. Some of the possible factors influencing the aging properties which arise in the process of converting pulp into paper were studied, including effects of beating; alum (acidity), rosin, and starch used in beater sizing; and glue, starch, alum, and formaldehyde used for surface sizing. The amount of beating required to produce the desired characteristics in the papers had no apparent effect upon the chemical properties of the fibers or upon their stability. A definite relation between the acidity of the rosin-sized papers and their stability was noted. A marked lowering in stability was caused by the use of excessive amounts of alum. By careful control of the acidity of the stock in the beater -i.e., amount of alum added to the beater -it was possible to prepare well-sized papers of very high stability. Other factors being alike, papers with the lowest rosin content had the best resistance to accelerated aging. In general the addition of starch in the beater caused an increase in the strength of the paper and had no deleterious effect upon the stability of the finished paper. The effects produced were practically the same for the two kinds of starch products used, one prepared by a process of acid hydrolysis and the other by a process of oxidation. Unsized and rosin-sized papers were surface sized with glue and starch solutions. In general the bursting strength, tensile breaking strength, and elongation increased on surface sizing and the tearing strength decreased proportionally with the amount of size taken up by the basic paper. No such relation appeared to hold in the case of the folding endurance, which increased on surface sizing about 10 per cent on the average. In the case of the currency type papers, which had exceptionally high folding endurances before sizing, a slight decrease in folding endurance on surface sizing with glue was noted. For the specific samples of glue and starch used in this work, little difference in the final results obtained with them was noted. In general the stability of the papers toward accelerated aging was improved by surface sizing. This protective effect was somewhat more pronounced in the case of glue sizing than in the case of starch sizing. When alum was used in moderate amounts as a preservative for the glue or starch in the surface-sizing baths, it caused no deleterious effect on the paper as far as could be determined by the tests applied.

Hemicellulose, chitosan, and lignin-based biopolymer films for an improved and sustainable food packaging: A comprehensive review.

Food packaging industry is going through various scientific evolutions as per the preferences of the consumers along with the consumer trends. Current trends focus on not only protecting the food intelligently but also making it visually appealing to the consumer. In recent years, considerable attention is been given to replace nonbiodegradable materials with ecofriendly biodegradable composite material. Nanotechnology is flourishing and has proven to be a great incorporation to the packaging industry, as it can also overcome the drawbacks of the existing methods. Various nanomaterials have been explored and tested for manufacturing of packaging materials. In the present review, we discussed on current trends in food packaging and their drawbacks with respect to over consumption of plastic and how sustainable packaging is being implemented. Furthermore, nanotechnology is becoming a promising and widely used potential in food packaging industry along with nanomaterials currently being used such as zinc nanoparticles, polymer clay nanoparticles, and silver nanoparticles in food packaging. This information will broaden our current understanding on potential and problems associated with nanotechnology in food packaging.

20 - High barrier graphene/polymer nanocomposite films

Lima bean is a nutritious food legume. In addition to nutritional value of food product, its keeping quality and functional properties during storage are also important in determining the quality of the food for consumption. The study aimed at evaluating the microbial and functional properties of lima bean flour during storage. Lima bean was processed into flour, packaged in low density polyethylene bag and stored at ambient (28 ± 2 o C) temperature for twenty-four weeks. The stored samples were evaluated for microbial (Total viable count and mold count) and functional properties (Bulk density, water and oil absorption capacity, foaming capacity, emulsion capacity and dispersibility). Total viable count (TVC) increased from 1.60 log cfu/g at week 0 to 4.25 log cfu/g at week 24 of storage. There was no mold growth till week 12 of storage. Mold count increased from 1.77 log cfu/g in week 12 to 3.77 log cfu/g in week 24. Both TVC and mold counts in the lima flour were far lower than the recommended limit of 10 6 cfu/g for TVC and 10 3 cfu/g for mold count respectively by International Microbiological Standards. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the bulk density of the lima bean flour at storage. Water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, foam capacity, emulsion capacity and dispersibility decreased slightly with storage time. The study showed that lima bean flour is safe for consumption and can serve as a potential functional food ingredient in food products formulation without much changes in its functional properties over a period of twenty-four weeks. Keywords: Lima bean flour, Functional properties, microbial properties, storage, safety. DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/107-05 Publication date: April 30 th 2021

Leather quality of some Sudan desert sheep and goats

This research work was intended to discover the effect of super white washing process temperature and OBA (optical brightening agent) concentration on various properties of stretch denim fabric. Different properties like tensile strength, tear strength, dimensional stability, pilling resistance, hand feel performance, color fastness to washing, color fastness to perspiration, color fastness to light were investigated. All experimental tests were carried out according to the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards. Stretch denim fabric treated with super white washing process demonstrated better results regarding tensile strength, tear strength and dimensional stability for 35°C temperature and 30g/L OBA concentration along with illustrated moderate to good ratings in different color fastness properties after gradual increase of processing OBA concentration and temperature; although no significant change was observed regarding the grade of color change and color staining for color fastness to wash, color fastness to perspiration and color fastness to light with respect to stretch denim fabric treated with super white washing. The grade for pilling resistance and hand feel performance was comparatively good after the elevation of processing temperature and OBA concentration. The GSM (gram per square meter) of stretch denim fabric also changed accordingly after increasing the OBA concentration and washing process temperature for super white washed stretch denim fabric. The dimensional stability of stretch denim fabric also altered after going through different OBA concentration and washing process temperature.

This research work was designed to explore the effect of different washing processes (enzyme wash, enzyme stone wash, enzyme stone wash with bleaching, heavy enzyme stone wash with bleaching) on various properties of stretch denim fabric. Different properties like tensile strength, tear strength, dimensional stability to washing, color fastness to washing, color fastness to water, color fastness to perspiration, color fastness to light, color fastness to rubbing, changes in fabric weight were investigated in context with different washing processes for stretch denim fabric. All tests were carried out according to the ISO (International Organization for Standardization). Enzyme washed fabric illustrated better performance regarding tear strength, tensile strength and dimensional stability; but showed moderate performance in different color fastness properties. But the color fastness to rubbing of heavy enzyme stone wash was excellent. No significant change was observed regarding the grade of color change and color staining for color fastness to wash, color fastness to perspiration and color fastness to light with respect to different types of washing processes like enzyme wash, enzyme stone wash, enzyme stone wash with bleaching and heavy enzyme stone wash with bleaching. The grade for dry rubbing and wet rubbing was comparatively better for enzyme wash rather than other washing processes. The GSM (gram per square meter) of stretch denim fabric also increased accordingly after different kinds of washing process rather than untreated stretch denim fabric. The dimensional stability of stretch denim fabric also altered after going through different washing process. The highest shrinkage was occurred in weft direction for heavy enzyme stone wash with bleaching.

Jute fibre reinforced biodegradable composites using starch as a biological macromolecule: Fabrication and performance evaluation

An evaluation of a technique to improve the mechanical properties of maxillofacial silicone elastomers with zinc oxide nanoparticles

The effects of addition of synthetic dairy factory effluent (DFE) containing phosphoric, nitric or acetic acids as cleaning agents on soil chemical and microbial properties and potential nutrient leaching from a dairy farm soil were studied in an 84-day open incubation/leaching experiment and in a short-term (24 days) closed incubation. Dairy factory effluent resulted in increased leaching of Na+ and Ca2+. The main anion leached in the DFE treatments was Cl−, whilst in the control treatments it was NO 3 − . Leachates from DFE-treated soil had a greater electrical conductivity (EC) and lower pH than those from controls, but type of acid had little effect on the ionic content or composition of leachates. At the conclusion of the experiment, soils from DFE treatments showed a large accumulation of exchangeable Na+, a reduction in exchangeable Ca2+ and significant increases in microbial biomass C, basal respiration and β-glucosidase and arylsulphatase activities. Microbial activity was greatest from the acetic acid-DFE treatment. There was a significant increase in extractable P in the phosphoric acid-DFE treatment, but addition of nitric acid-DFE did not increase leaching of NO 3 − . In the short-term incubation experiment, EC increased over time in all treatments, while pH, microbial biomass and basal respiration decreased. During the first few days after a one-off DFE addition, there was an increase in both microbial biomass C and basal respiration, but these differences dissipated after 3 days. It was concluded that while additions of DFE have significant effects on chemical and microbial soil properties, a change in the form of acid present in the DFE has relatively minor effects on these properties.

Bleached spruce sulfate pulp was used in this study to produce paper handsheets. Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA( was introduced as a chelating agent in concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75%. The handsheets were exposed to UV light at wavelengths ranging from 330 to 440 nm, with time intervals of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 h. Finally, the strength properties were measured based on ISO standards. The strength indices of the handsheets were improved by adding the proper concentration of EDTA chelating agent, in comparison with the control sample. Furthermore, increasing the aging time reduced the breaking length, tear strength, folding endurance, burst strength, and tensile strength. Tear index, tensile strength, tearing strength, bursting strength, and folding endurance were decreased respectively by 41.9, 3.1, 28.2, 29.7, and 8.6 percent without EDTA treatment by increasing the aging time.