Waste Paper Fibers Research Articles

Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of Mineral Doped Waste Paper Fiber

Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of Mineral Doped Waste Paper Fiber

Performance of waste-paper/PETG wood–plastic composites

Wood–plastic composites were prepared from polyethylene terephthalate- 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol ester (PETG) and waste-paper fiber that was unmodified, modified with alkyl-ketene-dimer (AKD), and modified with a silane-coupling agent. The mechanical properties, water absorption properties, surface structure, and thermal properties of the three prepared materials were compared. The results showed that the optimum amount of waste-paper powder is 10 wt%, while that of the waste-paper particles is 60–80 mesh. The use of AKD and coupling agent KH550 can reduce the water absorption of the composite; however, the reductive effect of the coupling agent is better, in that it is reduced by 0.3%. Modification using a 1-wt% KH550 coupling agent can effectively increase the tensile strength of a composite from 31.36 to 41.67 MPa (increase of 32.8%), while the bending strength increased from 86.47 to 98.31 MPa (increase of 13.7%). This also enhances the thermal stability of the composites. With the addition of the coupling agent, the composite material maintains good mechanical properties even after being immersed in water; this can enable the safe use of these composite materials in outdoor environments.

Effect of Waste Paper Fiber on Properties of Cement-based Mortar and Relative Mechanism

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of waste paper fiber on the properties of cement-based mortar and the relative mechanism. The cement-based mortars with various contents and mixing way of waste paper fibers were prepared and the slump flow, setting time and strength developments of all mortars were tested. Besides, Ca(OH)2 content in hardened pastes at different ages and the microstructures of all mortar at 90d were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results showed that in the process of mixing, more superplastizier was consumed to maintain the workability because of the absorption of water and superplastizer on waste paper fiber. With more waste paper fiber being added, longer setting time is available for the pastes with it because of the carbohydrate dissolving and its retarding to the cement hydration. Waste paper fiber is adverse to the early and later strength of cement-based mortar, but it increases the mortar strengths at 7 and 28 d. The strength, Ca(OH)2 content and microstructure are related to the content and mixing way of waste paper fiber. Waste paper fiber helps produce the Ca(OH)2 at 7 and 28 d, but this case is reverse at ages of 1 and 3 d. Overall, waste paper fiber leads to the appearance of more pores in the hardened paste. However, it increases the toughness of cement-based mortar.

Production of Biomass Fiber Packaging Material by Microwave Foaming Method

In recent years, the production and application of plastic planting tray is subject to more restrictions, many scholars at domestic and abroad are actively to develop biodegradable biomass packaging materials. Based on these analysis and summarization, make use of treated sludge, waste paper fibers and industrial waste wood chips as raw materials, adding other environmental protection additives to prepare a kind of biomass foaming material which has low quality, low density and good mechanical properties. Text result shows that it is feasible to use this method to make environmental material, and its density is 0.43g/cm3, the compressive strength is 10.64MPa.

High-Specific Surface Area Hierarchical Al2O3 Carbon Fiber Based on A Waste Paper Fiber Template: Preparation and Adsorption for Iodide Ions

In this work, a hierarchical Al2O3 carbon fiber (H-Al-CF) was successfully fabricated for application in the removal of iodide ions from water. High yields of Al2O3-coated carbon fiber were prepared by a sol–gel process using waste paper fibers as templates and carbon sources. The H-Al-CF is fabricated by an in-situ growth of AlOOH nanocrystals on the surface of carbon fibers following calcination. The synthesized H-Al-CF exhibits the developed porosity including mesopores and macropores, and has high-specific surface area (348.9 m2 g−1) and iodide ions' adsorption efficiency (92.3%). The in-situ growth process ensures that H-Al-CF has a more stable structure, further promoting higher adsorption efficiency.

Polymeric matrix composites at reduced environmental impact

This work focused on the use of bio‐derived charge, in order to reduce the environmental impact of traditional oil‐based polymers (HDPE in this case). In fact, we introduced waste paper fibres and a starch‐derived polymer in Wood Plastic Composites (WPC). We produced different materials: 10 wt% of recycled paper fibres (10F), 30 wt% of wood flour (30W) and a mix of two fillers (30W10F). Polyethylene‐graft‐maleic anhydride (MAPE) has been introduced as compatibilizer and a NaOH immersion treatment on both cellulosic filler has been done in order to improve composites properties. A starch‐derived polymer was then added to the matrix to reduce HDPE amount (30W10F15S). Samples were produced through turbomixing followed by compression moulding technique, and then subjected to tensile tests, SEM analysis, water absorption tests and hardness tests (Shore D). Results evidenced a synergic effect of both cellulosic fillers, and the best results were obtained for 30 wt% wood, 10 wt% fibre of paper, and 3 wt% of MAPE, in which MAPE addition improved interfaces. Samples with starch‐derived polymers have shown typical blends morphologies, and cellulosic fillers treated with NAOH revealed an effective attack. The hardness measure displayed that the presence of cellulosic recycled fibres increased both superficial hardness of the composite and temperature resistance, while the presence of starch‐derived polymer and fibres treated with NaOH caused a higher softening effect. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:651–656, 2017. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers

Assessing wood use efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions of wood product cascading in the European Union

Cascading use of biomass is a recognized strategy contributing to an efficient development of the bioeconomy and for mitigating climate change. This study aims at assessing the potential of cascading use of woody biomass for reducing GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and increasing the overall wood flow efficiency in the European Union's forest and bioeconomy sectors. A scenario and life cycle approach was followed to quantify the potential benefits of cascading use of woody biomass. We started from a reference scenario in which (post-consumer) waste wood and paper are re-utilized for energy only (S0). Then we compared the reference scenario with two alternative scenarios, the current waste wood and paper recycling practices (S1) and the maximum technical potential to increase recycling of waste wood and paper flows (S2). Following a supply chain perspective, different stages of production were analysed, including forgone fossil-fuels substitution, optimization at manufacturing level and forest regrowth. Through cascading use, the wood use efficiency ratio (cascade factor) in the European wood sector would be increased by 23% (S0 vs S1) and 31% (S0 vs S2) and GHG emissions (cradle-to-gate energy use) would be reduced by 42% (28 MtCO2-eq/year) and 52% (35 MtCO2-eq/year) in scenarios S1 and S2. However, increased wood product cascading is counter effected in the short term by reduced savings in the energy sector by 49% and 48% (−43 and −42 MtCO2-eq/year) in scenarios S1 and S2 due to delayed availability of waste wood and waste paper fibers. This explorative study highlights the potential of cascading use of woody biomass in the wood production chains to contribute to a reduction of environmental impacts related to wood resource and energy use, but it also reveals trade-offs in terms of GHG emissions reduction, relevant especially in meeting short-term (2020–2030) renewable energy targets.

The Effects of CaCO3 Coated Wood Free Paper Usage as Filler on Water Absorption, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Cellulose-High Density Polyethylene Composites

In this study some physical, mechanical and thermal characteristics of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and CaCO 3 coated/pigmented wood free paper fiber composites were investigated. The fillers used in this study were uncoated cellulose, 5.8 %, 11.5 %, 16.5 % and 23.1 % CaCO 3 coated wood free paper fibers. Each filler type was mixed with HDPE at 40% by weight fiber loading. In this case, the ratio of CaCO 3 in plastic composites were calculated as 0 %, 2.3 %, 4.6 %, 6.6 % and 9.2 % respectively. Increased CaCO 3 ratio improved the moisture resistant, flexural and tensile strength of cellulose-HDPE composites. However, the density of the cellulose-HDPE composites increased with CaCO 3 addition. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy on Scanning Electron Microscope analysis demonstrated the uniform distribution of CaCO 3 and cellulose fiber in plastic matrix. In addition, the thermal properties of fiber plastic composites were investigated. The results of Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that the crystallinity of the samples decreased with increasing CaCO 3 content. Consequently, this work showed that CaCO 3 coated waste paper fibers could be used as reinforcing filler against water absorption in thermoplastic matrix. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.4.14222

Sustainable Panels with Recycled Materials for Building Applications: Environmental and Acoustic Characterization

Abstract Sound absorption materials structure is generally based on porous synthetic media (rock wool, glass wool, polyurethane, polyester, ect.): they have expensive production processes, important energy consumptions, and high environmental impact. Recycled materials are becoming an interesting alternative, due to their good acoustic behavior, similar to traditional porous materials; they also allow low impact production costs, thanks to the use of wastes derived from other production cycles. This work focuses on the evaluation of the acoustic absorption properties of new panels made of recycled paper and other scrap materials, as wool and nonwoven polyester fabric: different samples were produced and tested by means of impedance tube, according to ISO 10534-2. In order to present the environmental benefits, Life Cycle Assessment was carried out in terms of primary embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions, considering a “cradle-to-gate” approach. Furthermore, the behavior of innovative absorption materials was investigated in order to improve the acoustic performance of a lecture room, by means of an acoustic simulation software. A comparison with traditional materials was also carried out for both acoustic and environmental aspects. In the simulation model, calibrated by an in-situ experimental campaign of the main acoustic quality indexes (Reverberation Time, Clarity and Definition Indexes, Speech Transmission Index), different acoustic correction solutions were implemented: both the new recycled and traditional panels were applied as wall and ceiling absorbers. The analysis of the acoustic absorption trends, in 100 - 5000 Hz frequencies range, shows that the new materials are suitable as acoustic correction systems, especially the panel composed by waste paper and wool fibers. The LCA analysis results show that, considering the same acoustic performance, the recycled panels allow to reduce the environmental effects and the global production costs.

Potential utilization of recycled waste paper fibres in cement composites

This paper deals with the utilization of waste paper fibres in cement composites. The characterization of waste cellulosic fibres, their processing methods as well as the density and mechanical properties of cement-based composites with the 2 and 5 wt% fibre content of three fibre kinds compared to a composite based on 99.5 wt.% cellulosic fibre and the control sample without fibres are presented. It is shown that the density and mechanical properties of tested fibre-cement composites are affected by cellulosic fibre content and depend on the nature of fibres, their dimension and dispersion in the matrix. The density of each composite with fibre content was checked in a narrow range (1921–1968 kg/m 3 at 2 % and 5 % replacement of the filler). Composites with recycled waste paper fibres had an increasing character in the values of flexural strength up to 14.9 % in comparison with the wood pulp mortar sample. The compressive strength of composites with 2 % of filler replacement reached up to 18 MPa. However, the 5 % replacement of the filler caused a reduction in the compressive strength values to 7.5 % in comparison with the sample containing wood pulp after 28 days of hardening. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ct.67.1.15001

Self-Shrinkage Behaviors of Waste Paper Fiber Reinforced Cement Paste considering Its Self-Curing Effect at Early-Ages

The aim of this paper was to study how the early-age self-shrinkage behavior of cement paste is affected by the addition of the waste paper fibers under sealed conditions. Although the primary focus was to determine whether the waste paper fibers are suitable to mitigate self-shrinkage as an internal curing agent under different adding ways, evaluating their strength, pore structure, and hydration properties provided further insight into the self-cured behavior of cement paste. Under the wet mixing condition, the waste paper fibers could mitigate the self-shrinkage of cement paste and, at additions of 0.2% by mass of cement, the waste paper fibers were found to show significant self-shrinkage cracking control while providing some internal curing. In addition, the self-curing efficiency results were analyzed based on the strength and the self-shrinkage behaviors of cement paste. Results indicated that, under a low water cement ratio, an optimal dosage and adding ways of the waste paper fibers could enhance the self-curing efficiency of cement paste.

Enhanced adsorption of fluoride from aqueous solutions by hierarchically structured Mg-Al LDHs/Al2O3 composites

Hierarchically structured layered double hydroxides (LDHs)/Al2O3 composites were fabricated from waste paper fibers using a two-step method. In the first step microscaled Al2O3 fibers were prepared by template-directed synthesis employing waste paper fibers as templates; and in the second step nanoscaled LDHs platelets were fabricated into hierarchical architectures based on crystal growth on Al2O3 fibers surface. The morphology and structure of asprepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 adsorption/desorption analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The SEM results revealed that the inorganic fibers were covered by LDHs platelets, forming the hierarchical structures with micro- to nanoscales. The BET analysis showed that the surface area was increased from 76.66m2/g (Al2O3 fibers) to 165.0m2/g (composites) by the growth of LDHs platelets on the surfaces of Al2O3 fibers. As compared to bare LDHs particles and Al2O3 fibers, the LDHs/Al2O3 composites show a high fluoride adsorption capacity, and the maximum adsorption capacity can reach up to 58.7mg/g. The Langmuir isotherm model was found to agree well with the equilibrium data, while the pseudo-second order model provided the highest correlation of the kinetic data for fluoride adsorption. The as-prepared LDHs/Al2O3 composites and corresponding design strategies developed herein are expected to be applicable to the synthesis of other LDHs based composites for the removal of pollutants from water.

Innovative panels with recycled materials: Thermal and acoustic performance and Life Cycle Assessment

Insulation is one of the most effective methods intended for reducing energy consumption in both heating and cooling of buildings. Selecting the right materials and determining the optimum insulation thickness in building insulation application is an important issue. Moreover it is important to use green insulating materials in order to limit the environmental impact in the use of these solutions. A growing interest is focused on the incorporation of low cost recycled materials in building products and their potential use as insulating panels for both new buildings and refurbishments.In this paper two panels were investigated, composed by waste paper and textile fibres, joined by glue, with a total thickness of 12mm and 20mm respectively. The study is focused on the thermal and acoustic characterisation of the panels, in order to provide accurate data for a reliable building integration.Thermal performance was evaluated by using the hot-box apparatus, according to UNI EN ISO 8990. A good thermal behaviour was found for all the investigated panels: k-values vary in the 0.034–0.039W/mK range. The investigated panels could be a valid solution in place of classic insulation systems, even though thermal resistance is strongly influenced by the environmental humidity, the rate of the compression, and the presence of air between the layers. Therefore a thermal infrared camera was also used during the measurements, aiming to investigate the weak points of the assembled panels and to select the positions of the sensors.The acoustic absorption coefficient was determined by means of a Kundt’s tube, in compliance with ISO 10534-2. The Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC – the arithmetic value of the absorption coefficient at the frequencies 250, 500, 1000 and 2000Hz) of the samples varies in 0.23–0.38 range, depending on the layer thickness.Finally an initial Life Cycle Assessment of the proposed solutions was considered and compared to the performance of other replaceable insulating materials. Results showed that the panel composed by recycled papers and textile fibres causes relative large energy consumptions and a high global warming potential. The importance of this kind of insulation system is due to the use of recycled materials: both the waste paper and the TNT fibres should be disposed by means of a large use of energy. This way they will be re-used and the cost for the production of the panels is very low. A disadvantage of these panels could be their high density (about 433kg/m3): the future step for this work will be the improvement of this new insulating type in order to obtain a competitive solution on the market. The manufacturing of lighter solutions will allow the panels to be more competitive on the market in terms of embodied energy and GHG emissions.

Improvement of Waste Paper Pulp Properties by Using Aspen High-Yield Pulp

Because of the public environmental awareness growing and Fibrous raw material shortage, waste paper recycling has received widespread attention, increased year by year. Waste paper fiber through the whole process of pulping and papermaking, different production processes and the use of environment, waste paper fiber can occur in many different changes compared with the original fiber, accordingly the paper properties change.In this study, a high-quality aspen high-yield pulp (HYP) was used to improve the Waste paper pulp properties at the laboratory scale.The results indicate that adding 25% aspen HYP into unrefined or refined Waste paper fiber can minimize many of the drawbacks associated with Waste paper fiber: improving its drainage, bulk, and opacity. And addition of a small amount (about 1%) of cationicstarch can also significantly increase the tensile index of OCC.

Study on Mechanical Properties and Water Absorption Behaviour of Wastepaper Fibre/Recycled Polypropylene Composites

There has been growing interest in the use of waste materials as an alternative source for the conventional wood-plastic composites (WPC) in the global market. This paper evaluates the feasibility of two different kinds of wastepaper fibre as reinforcing materials used for WPC. For this purpose, the fibre morphology of old newspaper fibre (ONPF) and old magazine paper fibre (OMGF) was investigated by fibre morphology analyzer, respectively. Wastepaper fibres, recycled polypropylene (rPP), and 2%MAPP were compounded by double-roller mixer and test specimens were prepared by hot press moulding. The tensile, flexural, and water absorption properties of ONPF and OMGF reinforced rPP composites as a function of fibre content were studied. The results showed that the highest mechanical properties of ONP and OMG fibre reinforced composites could be reached with 30 wt.% fibre contents. The mechanical properties of the composites made from ONP fibres were better than those made from OMG fibres. However the addition of wastepaper fibres resulted in a decrease in elongation at break. Both the fibre loading and the fibre morphological characteristics had an effect on the water uptake behaviour. But the effect of fibre size on the water uptake was minimal compared to that of the fibre content. The water uptake of wastepaper fibre/rPP composites may actually be slowed down rather than delayed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fracture surface of a tensile specimen with 30 wt.% wastepaper fibre loading showed good fibre dispersion in the matrix and a good compatibility between wastepaper fibre and rPP matrix. The results suggested that both the ONP fibres and the OMG fibres could be used as potential sources and reinforcing agent for composites, but the reinforcement effect of ONPF was better than that of OMGF.

Study on the Technical Conditions of Old Newspaper(ONP)/ Recycled-Polypropylene(rPP) Composites

Use of resource-rich wastepaper/recycled plastics as raw materials in the production of wood-plastic composites(WPC) can alleviate the shortage of wood resources, reduce pollution and has a attractive prospect. In this paper, old newspaper fiber(ONPF)/recycled-polypropylene(rPP) Wood-Plastics Composite(WPC) was prepared by means of mixing processing and compression molding. The effects of technical conditions on the mechanical properties of WPC were investigated. The structure of composite was characterized by means of FTIR and SEM. The results show that, Wastepaper and waste-PP can be used as raw materials for preparation of WPC. The suitable preparation process for wastepaper/rPP composites was: wastepaper fiber 20%, blending temperature 175°C, blending time 15min, molding pressure 12MPa, molding temperature 175°C and molding time 10min. In these conditions, tensile strength and flexural strength of wastepaper/rPP composites are 23.6MPa and 28.8MPa respectively, increased by 20.9% and 12.6% compared to those of rPP matrix. The elongation at break of WPC is 10.6%, and the flexural modulus is 1328.9MPa，increased by 7.7% compared to those of rPP matrix. The structure analysis found that there is no chemical reaction between the fibers and the matrix. The research results have important practical significance in the field of printing and packaging waste recycling and utilization, environmental protection and energy saving.

Sound absorption and print density properties of recycled sheets made from waste paper and agricultural plant fibres

A number of thin biocomposites through wet lying methods were prepared from old corrugated boards with blends of luffa fibres (LF) and yarn waste (YW) at 15 and 30%. Mechanical, optical, printability and sound absorption properties of manufactured materials were determined. Addition of both LF and YW improved the brightness of control sheets, but unfortunately significantly reduced the burst and tensile indexes. Sound absorption values were found to be improved by both LF and YW parallel to the increase in the air permeability. Thermal stabilities of prepared sheets were also slightly improved by LF and YW as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Furthermore, addition of LF and WY were noted to increase both the changes in print density and tone values of resultant materials. It is concluded that LF and YW could be better utilized with recycled cellulose fibres in producing some insulation and packaging materials. Key words: Recycling, print density, sound absorption, insulation, luffa fibres, waste textiles.

Preparation of Environment-Friendly Composite from Waste Paper Fiber and Waste Collagen

Waste newspaper fiber was filled in the collagen cross-linked by glutaraldehyde. The effects of deinking fiber, glycerol dosage, glutaraldehyde dosage on the mechanical properties of composite were investigated. It is found that the deinking treatment increases the strength of the composite material. The composite has better mechanical properties under the preparing conditions as follows: waste newspaper fiber content 10%, glutaraldehyde dosage12.5%, glycerol dosage 12.5%, pH 9.7, 60°C for 2h. The tensile strength and elastic modulus are 4.98Mpa and 0.09Gpa, respectively.

Water uptake and mechanical characteristics of natural filler–polypropylene composites

AbstractWater uptake characteristics and some mechanical properties of polypropylene composites containing three types of natural fillers, purified α‐cellulose, wastepaper fibers, and wood flour were studied. The fiber contents were 15, 25, and 35% by weight. Two percent maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) was also added to the mix, as the compatibilizer agent. Mixing process was performed in a Brabender Plasticorder until a constant torque was reached. Composites made out of these combinations were then pressed in a laboratory press and ASTM standard test specimens were cut out of the sheets. Water absorption and tensile tests were performed on these specimens. The results showed a significant difference between the various filler types regarding water uptake. Water uptake also increased by the increase in filler content. Tensile strength and elongation at break in composites declined when compared with pure polypropylene, but their modulus of elasticity increased. Among the three types of fillers, no significant discrepancies were observed in terms of improving mechanical properties in composites. Filler content increase had no drastic effect regarding strength improvement. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 941–946, 2003

Preparation of Biodegradable Capsules Composed of Paper Fibers by Utilizing Liquid-Liquid Dispersion

Biodegradable and controlled-release capsules composed of waste paper fibers as matrix and limonene droplets as core materials were prepared by utilizing the liquid-liquid dispersion. Encapsulation was performed due to coalescence between a droplets containing binder and fibers and those dissolving a gelling agent. In this experiment, methylcellulose as a binder and tannic acid as a gelling agent were used respectively. Paper fibers were treated hydrophobic prior to the encapsulation operation in order to improve waterproofing of capsules. It was investigated whether capsules could be prepared by this encapsulation process or not. Furthermore, it was investigated how the fiber concentration affected the morphology and release characteristics of capsules. As a result, it was found that capsules were able to be prepared due to coalescence between two kinds of droplets and the capsule morphology was extremely changed with the fiber concentration. Moreover, it was found that the change in morphology considerably affected the release characteristics. Namely, in the case of the lower fiber concentration, monocore-type capsule containing limonene droplets were formed. However, as the fiber concentration increased, multicore-type capsules were formed.