PAPER making! g! FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL ® Volume 11, Number 2, 2025
and OTR were reduced from the original 2393.38 g/(m 2 ᐳ 24 h), 13,235.68 cm 3 /(m 2 ᐳ 24 h ᐳ 0.1 MPa) to 600.20 g/(m 2 ᐳ 24 h) and 951.25 cm 3 /(m 2 ᐳ 24 h ᐳ 0.1 MPa), respectively. Furthermore, the composite paper showed high mechanical strength (tensile strength: 11.51 kN/m, tear strength: 634.73 mN) and retained nearly 40% of its tensile strength after 15 min of immersion in water. In addition, the composite paper had good organic solvent barrier and recyclability. This paper presents a simple and effective method for improving the barrier and mechanical properties of paper-based materials, and makes a new attempt for the research and development of paper-based packaging materials. ENERGY “Impact of Cellulases Treatment on Pulp Refining Process in Papermaking Process”, Yoon-Hyuck Choi, Won-Gyeom Shin & Soo-Jeong Shin, Journal of Korea TAPPI , 2025 Vol.57(1), pp. 32-40. Refining is one of the most energy-intensive processes in papermaking, making efficiency improvements and energy reduction critical challenges. To address this issue, enzymatic pre-treatment was explored using pure cellulase (Celluclast® 1.5 L) and a cellulase-xylanase enzyme blend (Viscoflow® MG) to modify pulp surface properties and enhance refining performance. In this study, bleached hardwood kraft pulp was pre-treated with enzymes at concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 IU at 50°C for 60 minutes. The effects of enzymatic pre-treatment were assessed by measuring freeness using the Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) method and evaluating paper strength properties, including tensile and tear indices. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine surface modifications in the pulp following enzymatic treatment. The results demonstrated that both enzyme treatments effectively reduced refining time, with pure cellulase-treated pulp achieving the target freeness more rapidly than pulp treated with the enzyme mixture. In terms of paper strength, the tensile index increased by up to 7.6% for pure cellulase-treated pulp and up to 12.4% for pulp treated with the enzyme blend. However, the tear index showed a decreasing trend for pure cellulase-treated pulp, whereas in the enzyme mixture group, it increased at lower concentrations (1 IU and 2 IU) but declined at higher concentrations (4 IU). SEM analysis confirmed significant structural modifications in the pulp surface after enzymatic pre-treatment. In conclusion, pure cellulase pre-treatment (Celluclast® 1.5 L) was found to be more effective in reducing refining energy consumption compared to the cellulase-xylanase blend (Viscoflow® MG). Furthermore, the physical properties of the resulting paper varied depending on the type and concentration of the enzyme applied, highlighting the importance of optimizing enzymatic pre-treatment conditions for enhanced refining efficiency and improved paper quality. ENVIRONMENT “Bamboo pulp as a sustainable alternative in China's pulp industry: Economic and environmental assessment”, Yingfan Duan, Min Dai, Ju Wang & Yutao Wang, Environmental Impact Assessment Review , Vol.115, August 2025, 107966. As China faces a growing crisis in paper raw material supply, there is increasing interest in using bamboo pulp as a sustainable alternative. This study evaluates the environmental and economic performance of bamboo pulp production in China using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC), and compares the results with those of wood pulp. In terms of environmental impacts, bamboo pulp production in China shows variability in different regions. The environmental burden of bamboo pulp ranges from 23.6% lower to 62.8% higher compared to wood pulp, primarily due to differences in the pulping and alkali recovery stages. In terms of economic benefits, bamboo pulp is more economical than wood pulp. The life cycle cost per ton of bamboo pulp is $211.0 less than that of wood pulp, representing a reduction of 19.3% in cost. Furthermore, several future technological advancement scenarios were designed, showing that increased adoption of advanced
Technical Abstracts
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