Water retention value (WRV) is a valuable parameter for papermaking, and is widely used in pulp evaluation. The purpose of present investigation is to clarify and discuss influence of WRV on the physical properties of bleached TMP, such as apparent sheet density and sheet strength. TMP fraction on 24 mesh were bleached by a NaClO/peroxides system under mild conditions to various degrees of delignification. Then, physical properties were measured for each of partially delignified TMP and for handsheet from the TMP. Furthermore, the bleached TMP fibers were examined by comparing the morphological images obtained by scanning electron microscope. Following results were obtained.
WRV increased gradually with increase in delignification degree. In other words, increase in hydrophilic degree of partially bleached TMP brought about an increase in WRV. WRV of never-dried TMP bleached by NaClO/H
2O
2 and NaClO/O
3 system were linearly related to apparent density of the handsheets. Tensile strength and burst factor of the sheets prepared from the bleached TMP were shown to be proportional to WRV. Folding endurance increased sharply with a slight increase in degrees of delignification. On the other hand, tear factor decreased after reaching to the maximum value, as the delignification proceeded. It was shown by scanning elctron photomicro-graph that the TMP fibers were swollen and softened by the mild bleaching with the NaClO/ peroxide system.
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