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Surface energy considerations for offset printing of coated paper and paperboard, TAPPI Journal November 2023
ABSTRACT: Offset printing of coated paper involves the complex interactions of ink with a surface that is characterized by three major properties: roughness, porosity, and related pore network structure and surface chemistry (related to surface free energy [SFE]). The effects of porosity and roughness are relatively well understood and are documented in the literature, whereas the influence of surface chemistry is much less studied and therefore the focus of this paper. The key results shown include: i) Coating porosity has a negligible effect on SFE determination by contact angle using two fluids. ii) The chemistry of the latex polymer in the coating formulation dominates the influence on SFE compared to pigment, with any surface energy differences present in the pigment being almost completely masked by latex. iii) Wetting agent and corona treatment can impact water absorption rate and surface spreading of water, resulting in small differences in printability. Increasing the concentration of the surfactant on a coated surface indicates switching orientation of the surfactant molecules, giving a “step wise” printing result. When looking to improve offset printability by selection of different pigments, the variation in SFE is less important than variation in either surface roughness or porosity.
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Rice straw-based sustainable food packaging material with improved strength and barrier properties: Development and characterization, TAPPI Journal October 2023
ABSTRACT: Sustainable food packaging paper with high barrier and strength properties was developed with rice straw nanocellulose materials. Pulping and bleaching of rice straw were performed using an organosolv pulping and DED (D: chlorine dioxide bleaching; E: sodium hydroxide extraction) bleaching sequence. Bleached rice straw pulp was refined to 90°SR using a laboratory Valley beater. The laboratory handsheets were prepared using pulp slurry at 40°SR and 90°SR. The handsheets of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) made of highly refined pulp (90°SR) were surface sized using alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) wax to increase the barrier properties of paper for selective food packaging applications. The paper samples were tested for mechanical, optical, surface, and barrier properties, including tensile index, burst index, tearing index, bending stiffness, elongation, porosity, apparent density, opacity, Cobb value, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), oil and grease resistance, and contact angle. The refined pulp (90°SR) was analyzed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and it was observed that the morphology of the developed fibers changes to the nanoscale (<100 nm) for at least one dimension. The particle size distribution of the refined pulp using DLS analyzer also confirmed the cellulose fibers to near nanoscale. It was concluded that nanofibers were formed by a high degree of the mechanical pulp refining process and found to be much more economical than alternative processes in this direction. The sample handsheets of CNFs showed good strength and barrier properties. The barrier properties further increased when surface sizing was done using low-cost, nontoxic, and biodegradable AKD wax.
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Using bleaching stage models for benchmarking hardwood ECF bleach plants, TAPPI Journal October 2023
ABSTRACT: Steady-state models estimated the performance of the D0(EOP)D1 bleach sequence at two mixed hardwood bleach plants in the southern United States. At Mill 1, the full sequence’s chlorine dioxide charge that brightens the pulp to ~84% ISO was monitored for two weeks. Mill 2 considered the partial sequence that brightens the pulp to ~86% ISO for nearly four weeks. Elevated levels of chlorine dioxide were linked to increased washer carryover in brownstock and extraction areas. For Mills 1 and 2, an extra 0.24% and 0.33% chlorine dioxide was consumed in the D0 stage. This extra bleach demand was equivalent to an additional 4.8 and 5.5 kappa load to the brownstock, respectively. Some differences were observed for the D1 stage. Mill 1 had extraction carryover that averaged 1.1 units higher than was measured, contributing to use of an extra 0.22% of chlorine dioxide. Mill 2 had extraction carryover that averaged between 0 and 0.7 kappa units and consumed up to 0.13% more chlorine dioxide. Another data set from Mill 2 showed high brownstock and extraction carryover, leading to ~0.90% more total chlorine dioxide usage to brighten to 84% ISO. Overall, this investigation illustrated that the models could be employed as benchmarks.
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — Fibrous substrates, TAPPI Journal September 2023
ABSTRACT: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been implemented during the finishing process of textiles such as upholstery, clothing, personal protective equipment, and sports gear to provide water resistance. Currently, PFAS are still present at quantifiable levels in consumer products and food, even though many companies have started to phase out PFAS treatment with non-toxic water repellant replacements given the possible detrimental health effects suggested by current research. This paper is a detailed review that focuses on how PFAS are implemented in textile production and sources of PFAS contamination during chemical treatments. This review also addresses current legislation on PFAS emissions and trade regulations to decrease exposure of consumers due to toxicokinetics and mechanisms of action through-out the body that are still not well understood. This paper includes a literature review on possible PFAS related health conditions shown from past research and contains suggested toxicity levels, exposure routes, duration, and pathways detailed to the best of our ability.
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Cross-flow separation characteristics and piloting of graphene oxide nanofiltration membrane sheets and tubes for kraft black liquor concentration, TAPPI Journal September 2023
ABSTRACT: Dewatering of weak black liquor (WBL) in the kraft cycle by evaporation is highly energy intensive. Membranes are an attractive alternative for energy-efficient dewatering, but existing commercial polymeric or ceramic membranes are either degraded in BL or have high capital costs. Our recent works have demonstrated the engineering of graphene oxide (GO) nanofiltration membranes, their stability and promising performance in BL conditions, and preliminary scale-up into sheets and tubes. Here, we describe in detail the separation characteristics of GO membrane sheets and tubes under real BL conditions and crossflow operation. Recycle-mode piloting of a GO tubular membrane showed average “production flux” of 16 L/m2/h (LMH) and high rejections of lignin (98.3%), total solids (66%), and total organic carbon (83%), with no signs of irreversible fouling identified. A corresponding GO sheet membrane produced an average flux of ~25 LMH and maintained high lignin rejection of ~97% during a slipstream pilot at a kraft mill site using WBL with ~16 wt% total solids (TS). Finally, we piloted a Dow/DuPont XUS1808 polyamide composite reverse osmosis (RO) membrane for last-mile processing of the GO nanofiltration membrane permeate. The RO membrane showed a steady state flux of 19 LMH at 65 bar and produced ~0.02 wt% TS water product, which is highly suitable for reuse in pulp washing operations in the kraft process. The results have strong positive implications for the industrial application of GO membranes in BL concentration and other related applications.
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Extensive function of green synthesized titania nanoparticles: Photodegradation of Congo red, TAPPI Journal September 2023
ABSTRACT: Several extensive research studies have explored the advantages of green templates in the synthesis of structure and morphology-controlled photocatalytic nanomaterials. This paper compares the abilities of zingiber rhizome extract (ZE) and tapioca starch extracts (TS) in modifying the surface and optical properties of titania nanoparticles (TNP) synthesized by solgel technique. The synthesized nanocatalysts were characterized using various physicochemical techniques. While zingiber (ginger) extract effectively promotes the formation of dual anatase and rutile phases, tapioca extract supports formation of the single anatase phase of titania. These two extracts were examined for the degradation of Congo red in the presence of sunlight. The photomineralization and recyclability of catalysts were evaluated through total organic content analysis. The easy recovery and reusability of zingiber and tapioca biomasses, along with good control over the growth of nanoparticles, enable them to be implicit novel green templates in the successful synthesis of photoactive mesoporous nanotitania.
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Editor's Note: Recovery Boiler Insights, TAPPI JOURNAL Febru
Editor's Note: Recovery Boiler Insights, TAPPI JOURNAL February 2010
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Editorial: A PaperCon preview of what’s coming in April, TAPPI Journal February 2020
Coming soon is PaperCon—TAPPI’s annual technical conference for paper and pack-aging industry professionals. Held this April 26-29 in Atlanta, GA, the conference features sessions on management, coating and graphic arts, process control, recycled paperboard, and a wide range of papermaking topics. Universities and research organizations from around the world are represented in the conference content, and below is a preliminary sampling of just a few of the many presentations that might interest TAPPI Journal readers.
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The winding mechanics of laminate webs, TAPPI Journal February 2020
ABSTRACT: Models that describe the residual stresses due to winding single-layer webs at the end of roll-to-roll manufacturing machines are mature. These models have been used to reduce or avoid defects that are due to winding. Many laminated products exist where two or more webs have been joined to form a thicker composite web. The properties of the web layers provide a unique functionality to the product being manufactured. No laminate winding models exist in the literature. This paper will focus on the development of a laminate winding model and laboratory test verification of the model.
Journal articles
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A new approach for the preparation of cellulose nanocrystals from bamboo pulp through extremely low acid hydrolysis, TAPPI Journal January 2020
ABSTRACT: As a renewable and biodegradable nanomaterial, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) has a wide range of potential applications, but production of CNC faces significant challenges in capital investment and manufacturing cost. In this work, the one-step preparation of CNC from bleached kraft bamboo pulp by extremely low acid (concen-tration of acid = 0.1 wt%) hydrolysis was demonstrated. The experimental data indicated that the yield of CNC was strongly affected by the operating pressure and concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl), as well as temperature. Rod-like CNC with a mean particle size of 524 nm was obtained through an extremely low acid (ELA) hydrolysis pro-cess. The yield of CNC can reach to 37.1% by an ELA hydrolysis process at 180°C for 60 min with 0.08 wt% HCl and 20 MPa operating pressure. The Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements show that the as-pre-pared CNC maintained cellulose structure. Compared with a conventional CNC prepared by strong sulfuric acid (H2SO4) hydrolysis, the CNC prepared by ELA hydrolysis process exhibited much higher thermal stability.