Facile preparation of nanofiller-paper using mixed office paper without deinking

Abstract

Mixed office paper (MOP) pulp without deinking with an ash content of 18.1 ± 1.5% was used as raw material to produce nanofiller-paper. The MOP pulp with filler was mechanically fibrillated using a laboratory stone grinder. Scanning electron microscope imaging revealed that the ground filler particles were wrapped by cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), which substantially improved the incorporation of filler into the CNF matrix. Sheets made of this CNF matrix were densified due to improved bonding. Specific tensile strength and modulus of the nanofiller-paper with 60-min grinding reached 48.4 kN·m/kg and 8.1 MN·m/kg, respectively, approximately 250% and 200% of the respective values of the paper made of unground MOP pulp. Mechanical grinding duration did not affect the thermal stability of the nanofiller-paper.