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M. N. A. MOHAMMAD TAIB ET AL.
scientists and researchers, such as using nanocellulose, nanoclay and nano calcium carbonate for which the resources are widely available. The properties that these materials exhibit are also comparable with others, such as increased brightness, opacity, and mechanical properties when added together in the pulp and paper manufacturing process. Moreover, natural nano additives such as nanocellulose become a favorable choice for researchers due to improved mechanical properties and provide high tear, burst, and tensile strength. It is also considered environmentally friendly and does not have a negative effect on human health. The use of calcium carbonate and calcium silicate is hazardous and involves harsh processing in the extraction process for both nanofillers. Other types of nanofillers, such as titanium dioxide, can cause carcinogens when exposed to human in high concentrations. The uses of natural nano additives such as nanocellulose and nanoclay in large amounts cause agglomeration and dispersion issues within the papermaking process. This needs to be solved with surface functionalization or with the addition of some surfactants. The recommendation for future use of nano additives from organic resources that will be increasing in demand and widely used in processing for pulp and paper industries is to reduce dependency on inorganic and mineral nano additives because of their environmentally friendly aspect and, at the same time, reduce the carbon footprint. The waste management for organic nanofillers is considered easy as compared to others, microorganisms will break down organic nanofillers in landfills. Adding small quantities of nano additives to pulp and paper will reinforce the material and enhance the interaction and bonding during the processing. It could also fill up the voids and fully cover them, thus reducing the pulp retention process. Furthermore, the use of nano additives also depends on the improvement of their intended properties. Some nanoadditives, such as CNTs, are good at heat resistance and can be used in different applications that need it. Conclusion The nano additives have emerged in many applications, including in the pulp and paper industries. The small quantity of additives used in pulp and paper processing positively affects the properties of the final products. The need to consider the total cost of manufacturing, the right choice of additives, and the intended improvement of properties has become a main subject when additives are selected by industrialists. Moreover, the addition of some kinds of nano additives, such as nano CaCO 3 and nano calcium silicate, improves the opacity and brightness but also reduces the strength properties. The high concentrations and loadings of these two materials significantly affect their strength performance. It was also noted that the other nanofillers such as nanocellulose, nanoclays and CNTs when added in pulp and paper improve the mechanical properties and also the flame retardancy but CNTs are also considered expensive for the extraction process. Furthermore, the nano TiO 2 and nano ZnO both have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that will give some advantages in papermaking by preventing the existence of bacteria and fungi when stored in humid conditions. The future of these nano additives depends on their availability and ease of processing when added together in pulp and paper processing. The potential of nano additives have not been extensively explored by researchers yet, and these materials will gain significant attention in modern and future technology. Acknowledgments This research is supported by Universiti Malaya Research Excellence Grant 2025 (UMREG002-2025). M.N.A.M Taib would like to thank University of Malaya for give full support on this project as well as contributors from Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). Author contributions Mohamad Nurul Azman Mohammad Taib conceived and designed the review paper, writing-original and review; Areisman Salleh contributed on the paper and also interpretation of analysis, writing-original and review. Zayd C. Leseman contributed to conception and final review on the manuscript. All authors checked and reviewed the manuscript upon submission.
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