Multilayer assembly onto pulp fibres using oppositely charged microfibrillated celluloses, starches, and wet-strength resins - Effect on mechanical properties of CTMP-sheets

The effects of multilayering of microfibrillar cellulose (MFC) onto a chemi-thermo-mechanical pulp (CTMP), from which the fines material had been removed, were investigated with regard to the mechanical properties of hand-sheets. In one series of experiments, the CTMP was multilayered with cationic MFC/anionic MFC (C-MFC/A-MFC) at various addition levels and sheets made in a conventional sheet former, pressed, and dried at room temperature. This experimental series was complemented with a second series, where sheets were made in a Rapid Kthen sheet former. In a third series of experiments, the CTMP was multilayered using a cationic polyamideamine epichlorohydrine resin (PAE) and an AMFC. Sheets were formed using the Rapid Kthen sheet former. Finally, in a fourth series of experiments, the MFC multilayering experiments were compared with multilayering experiments using cationic starch/anionic starch (C-starch/A-Starch). MFC-multilayering (C-MFC/A-MFC) gave inferior strength gain at a low addition level compared to starch multilayering, but (compared on a weight basis) the strength seemed to level off using starches at high addition levels, whereas there were a continuous increase in strength using MFC multilayering. Multilayering using PAE/A-MFC was found to give a higher strength gain than both C-MFC/A-MFC and C-starch/A-starch multilayering. Sheet density was slightly affected (<14%) by the multilayering techniques used in these experiments.