Iranian researchers from Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in association with their Norwegian colleagues succeeded in the production of a nanopaper with resistive and tensional properties much higher than nanopapers made of tree woods.
Natural cellulose nanofibers obtained from bagasse have been used in the production of the nanopaper.
Nowadays, reducing the production costs and increasing the quality of the products are among the highly important issues that are dealt with in various industries. Wood is currently the largest source for the production of various types of papers, specially cellulose nanofibers and microcrystalline cellulose used in the production of papers. However, Iranian researchers tend to use fibers made of lignocellulosic sources, including agricultural wastes such as bagasse, wheat straw, rice stubble, and industrial plants such as linen and hemp, due to their high abundance, low cost, ease of availability, sustainability and degradability.
Researchers succeeded in the production of cellulosic nanofibers from bagasse, and they used the unique properties of the natural nanomaterial as the strengthening agent for the paper tissue.
The implementation of the research will greatly help the industries that produce various types of printing and writing papers, newspapers and hygienic sheets. The use of polymers is the economic method proposed to put still cellulosic nanofibers in the paper tissue. This method replaces the fiber paste with a part of the long fiber paste, and in other words, it reduces the costs to produce printing and writing papers.
Results of the research have been published in Carbohydrate Polymers, vol. 99, issue 1, January 2014, pp. 311-319.