Bharimalla Ashok Kumar, Patil Sharmila, Dhakane-Lad Jyoti, Mahawar Manoj Kumar, Nadanathangam Vigneshwaran, Kautkar Sheshrao
Engineering Technology Transfer Division, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400 019, India.
Quality Evaluation and Improvement Division, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400 019, India.
Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 6;15(1):11788. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-96213-1.
This study investigated the use of cotton linter pulp with the blending of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) to produce paper with improved functional attributes. The CNFs were added to cotton linter pulp in varying proportions (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% on a dry weight basis). The paper handsheets of 60 ± 1 g/m were prepared and evaluated for surface morphology, crystallinity, mechanical, barrier, and optical properties. Surface morphology revealed the high compactness of paper incorporated with CNFs. No significant changes in the surface roughness of the paper were observed upon the addition of CNFs. Mechanical properties substantially improved with CNF loading, leading to a notable increase in tensile strength (3.6-9.4 fold), tearing resistance (1.6-2.1 fold), bursting strength (1.1-4.2 fold) and folding endurance (6-184 fold) compared with control paper. The CNFs blending caused a marked reduction in Cobb value (up to 63.3%) and increased air resistance (up to 34.3%), demonstrating the high barrier properties of paper. The optical properties showed a decrease in brightness (up to 31.8%) and variable opacity trends with the addition of CNFs. The findings suggested cotton linters are suitable for producing high-quality specialty paper. The research ascertained the potential of CNFs as a sustainable green material to enhance the mechanical and barrier performance of paper products.
本研究调查了棉短绒纸浆与纤维素纳米纤维（CNFs）混合使用以生产具有改进功能属性的纸张。将CNFs以不同比例（基于干重计为0、20、40、60、80和100%）添加到棉短绒纸浆中。制备了定量为60±1 g/m²的纸张手抄片，并对其表面形态、结晶度、机械性能、阻隔性能和光学性能进行了评估。表面形态显示，含有CNFs的纸张具有高致密性。添加CNFs后，未观察到纸张表面粗糙度有显著变化。随着CNFs含量的增加，机械性能显著提高，与对照纸相比，拉伸强度（提高3.6 - 9.4倍）、抗撕裂性（提高1.6 - 2.1倍）、耐破度（提高1.1 - 4.2倍）和耐折度（提高6 - 184倍）均有显著增加。CNFs的混合使科布值显著降低（高达63.3%），空气阻力增加（高达34.3%），表明纸张具有高阻隔性能。光学性能显示，添加CNFs后亮度降低（高达31.8%），不透明度呈现不同变化趋势。研究结果表明棉短绒适合生产高质量特种纸。该研究确定了CNFs作为一种可持续绿色材料在提高纸制品机械性能和阻隔性能方面的潜力。
