Electrophotography toner adhesion on agro-industrial residue and invasive plant papers

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Sustainability demands circular and material solutions with an emphasis on using local resources. Using alternative fibers from invasive plants and agro-residue promotes local production in smaller paper mills, which have additional benefits for the environment (protecting the local species, reducing agro-industrial waste). In electrophotography printing, toner adhesion is a vital quality parameter showing the prints' resistance against different mechanical stress, leading to toner particle detachment. This study tested six different papers made from invasive plants Japanese Knotweed, Black Locust, Canadian Goldenrod, agro-industrial residues Miscanthus, and Tomato stems and waste jute bags. The papers were printed with electrophotography, and three different toner adhesion methods were used to evaluate the toner adhesion. Paper properties like roughness, surface energy and surface resistivity were tested. The results indicate that uncoated agro-industrial residue and invasive plant papers with low surface roughness, low surface energy and high surface resistivity result in low toner adhesion. The cellulose content of the papers acquired with FTIR analysis did not influence the adhesion. Papers with surface energy over 35 mJ/m2 and surface resistivity below 5E + 1012 Ω values resulted in excellent paper toner adhesion (high IGT printability tester and tape pull test). High grammage and long fibers also improved the adhesion.