PAPER making! g! FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL ® Volume 11, Number 2, 2025
demonstrated inferior mechanical performance due to ineffective fibre bonding, uneven fibre distribution, and material loss during formation, but exhibited slightly improved water resistance from increased hydrophobicity and surface roughness from the material. Moulded fibre tray prototypes were also produced at pilot scale to demonstrate commercial feasibility. A commercialisation pathway was then explored, focusing on market availability, industrial feasibility, and cost analysis of necessary equipment and energy. New Zealand food contact compliance and the composition of materials that may pose potential risks were also evaluated, revealing the restriction of some chemicals and that the moulded pulp product should meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements. “Manufacturing of Form-molded Pulp Products (FMPPs) in the Papermaking Industry - A Review”, Dariusz Danielewicz, BioResources , 2025, Vol 20(2), p5114. The article reviews the history of the production of form-molded pulp products (FMPPs) and the current value of their production. The discussion includes fibrous intermediates and additional materials used to produce these products, the categories and properties of FMPPs, and principles of operation of machines used to produce them. It compares vacuum and overpressure molding techniques, and current and future trends in FMPPs production. FMPPs are produced from fibrous secondary and primary papermaking pulps, as well as other waste intermediates, the use of which can contribute to reducing the costs of producing these products. It was found that over the past dozen or so years, the state of knowledge on improving the strength properties of FMPPs and the use of biodegradable aids to improve their properties, including barrier properties, has significantly expanded. Drawing not yet published in review articles, showing devices for producing FMPPs using hydraulic molding and pressurized air molding methods are presented in a descriptive and comparative form used in the industry at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. Possible future directions are considered for FMPPs developments in technology and further commercialization. NANO-SCIENCE “Papers with high filler contents enabled by nanocelluloses as retention and strengthening agents”, Jiahe Li, Roufen Wu, Wen-Jun Wang, Khak Ho Lim & Xuan Yang, Carbohydrate Polymers , Vol.358, 15 June 2025, 123506. The development of economic and functional papers relies on the introduction of functional filler particles but faces several challenges, especially the low filler retention and inferior mechanical properties. This study introduces plant-based cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) as dual-function retention and strengthening agents, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polymer additives. Precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), a widely used filler, is selected as the model system. The effects of CNF dosage, aspect ratio, and surface carboxyl content on the filler flocculation process were systematically investigated, with additional enhancement achieved through cationic ion crosslinking to improve filler bridging. Remarkably, a superior filler retention rate (>90%) and filler-tensile factor (2.0) were achieved for the final papers at very low CNF dosage (1%), surpassing most literature data. Detailed analyses of filler morphology and distribution elucidated the structure-property relationships underlying this performance. Furthermore, the versatility of the approach was demonstrated with other functional fillers, imparting properties such as flame retardancy, oil/water separation, high brightness, and soluble organic pollutant absorption. Overall, this study reveals the critical feature of CNFs in simultaneously improving filler retention and mechanical properties, demonstrating their high potential for their applications in the papermaking industry.
Technical Abstracts
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