Enhancing Wheat Straw-Based Paper Strength with Borax-Modified Starch

What is it about?

* Borax-modified starch (BMS) is a substance that can improve the strength of paper made from wheat straw. * BMS increases the tensile strength, elongation, tensile energy absorption, and wet tensile index of the paper, making it stronger and more durable. * In a mill trial, BMS was used to reduce the need for expensive virgin softwood pulp in the paper recipe, while still maintaining the strength properties of the paper. * The addition of BMS compensated for the reduction of softwood fibers and improved the drainage, drying, and machine speed during the papermaking process. * BMS had no impact on the stiffness of the paper, except in the case of 75 BSP paper where stiffness decreased due to the absence of long flexible softwood fibers. Overall, the use of borax-modified starch as a wet-end strength additive holds great potential for improving the strength properties of wheat straw-based paper, reducing costs, and enhancing papermaking machine performance.

Featured Image

Photo by Dustin Humes on Unsplash

Photo by Dustin Humes on Unsplash

Why is it important?

* The use of borax-modified starch (BMS) as a wet-end strength additive for wheat straw-based paper is a unique approach to improving paper strength properties. * The study demonstrates the significant increase in tensile strength properties of the paper when BMS is added, providing a cost-effective alternative to expensive virgin softwood pulp. * The mill trial results validate the laboratory findings, showing the potential of BMS to enhance paper strength properties and improve machine performance. * The reduction of softwood pulp content in the paper recipe without compromising on strength properties is a breakthrough achievement, offering cost savings and reducing dependence on imported wood fiber. * The unique use of BMS and its positive impact on paper strength properties, cost savings, and machine performance make this work relevant and valuable to researchers, paper manufacturers, and the paper industry as a whole. * The potential to reduce te reliance on expensive virgin softwood pulp and improve the sustainability of paper production using wheat straw-based paper is a timely and important contribution. * The findings of this study can inform future research and development of wet-end strength additives, attracting readers interested in advancing papermaking technologies.