The products from paper are widely used materials with several benefits. The corrugated paper keeps items protected through long-distance logistic processes and constant shipping and handling. The corrugated boxboards are ideal options for any industry’s shipping, packaging and storage needs. Papers and cardboards are quite low cost and also provide environmental-friendly solutions, using recyclable materials such as used corrugated cartons and old newspapers. Recycling offers a reduction in environmental impact in densely populated regions and a large production of paper and board products. Generally, the use of recycled fiber produces paper with poorer mechanical properties due to the decrease in the interfiber bonding. The recycled pulp must be treated to restore its bonding strength, for which there are six methods possible: mechanical treatment, chemical additives, chemical treatment, fractionation, papermaking process modification and blending with virgin fiber. Although some mills produce 100% recycled paper, the majority augment their used pulp with some virgin fiber. Paper properties can be tailored within some ranges by modifying the properties of fibers, but the influence of fine quality on structure, strength and optical properties of paper can be even greater. The properties of papers are essentially determined by their raw materials. Most of these raw materials are made from 100% recycled fiber, but as the quality of the waste fiber varies, different chemicals must be used to provide the desired or expected properties. From an environmental and economic point of view, the use of primary fibers can be an alternative.
Valorization of Corn Stalk by the Production of Cellulose Nanofibers to Improve Recycled Paper Properties
