Enhancement of paper dry strength by carboxymethylated β-d-glucan from oat as additive

Abstract

Abstract The hypothesis has been tested that a carboxymethyl hemicellulose improves more effectively the dry strength of papers than a native hemicellulose. To that end, β-d-glucan from oat was treated with an alkaline ethanolic solution of sodium chloroacetate for different times to obtain a range of carboxymethylated β-d-glucan (CM-glucan) samples. The derivatization was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The physical properties of paper concerning burst and tensile strength as well as folding endurance were essentially improved if CM-glucan was added to unbleached kraft fiber suspension from pine before papermaking. The effects could be maximized by a proper selection of carboxymethylation time and the amount of CM-glucan added to the suspension. The effect was also beneficial in the case of recycled fibers.