Preparation and properties of an intelligent adjustable functional paper for organic cultural relics

Precious organic cultural relics are easily affected by temperature, humidity, and harmful gases in the environment, resulting in embrittlement, fading, mildew, moth damage and other aging forms. An energy-saving and environmentally friendly material is needed to stabilize humidity and adsorb harmful gases in the environment. In this paper, with an intelligent adjustment function, functional paper containing sepiolite and tourmaline natural minerals was successfully prepared. The component of 80 % of wingceltis and 20 % of straw in dry pulp as main raw material was conducive to the desorption of water molecules. As favorable structure inside functional paper, the adsorption point and the adsorption contact area increased by the rough surface of fiber bundles, the addition of sepiolite and the ordered molecular chains of copolymers destroyed. So, the relative humidity could be adjusted to 55 % ± 3 within 2 hours and was stable with functional paper. At the same time, 1.11 ppm sulfur dioxide and 2.98 ppm ammonia could be effectively adsorbed in 10 and 12 h, respectively, by 1 g of paper in a 5 L container. The pH of the paper was adjusted to neutral with tourmaline, even if the pH was changed by acidic or alkaline gas absorption. Therefore, for long-term organic cultural relic preservation, preparing a constant-humidity and clean environment is of great significance. This is possible through this paper.

Functional paper-based materials for diagnostics

Functional papers are the subject of extensive research efforts and have already become an irreplaceable part of our modern society. Among other issues, they enable fast and inexpensive detection of a plethora of analytes and simplify laboratory work, for example in medical tests. This article focuses on the molecular and structural fundamentals of paper and the possibilities of functionalization, commercially available assays and their production, as well as on current and future challenges in research in this field. Graphic abstract

Ein Meilenstein in der nachhaltigen Verpackung

Sappi wird eine neue Barrierebeschichtungstechnologie für funktionelle Papierverpackungen in seinem Spezialpapierwerk in Alfeld, Deutschland, einführen und damit seine Position als weltweit führender Anbieter von nachhaltigen Papierverpackungslösungen stärken. Berry Wiersum, CEO Sappi Europe, begründete die Entscheidung mit folgenden Worten: „Die Ausweitung des Einsatzes unserer firmeneigenen Barrierebeschichtungstechnologie untermauert die führende Position von Sappi in der Produktgruppe Functional Paper Packaging. Es verankert zugleich das Engagement mit unseren Kunden hinsichtlich der Entwicklung innovativer zukunftsorientierter Verpackungslösungen, die zu einer nachhaltigen Zukunft beitragen.“

Gels serving as carriers for functional fillers and facilitating novel composite paper production

Functional fillers can facilitate the development of novel composite paper products for specific end uses. But using functional components as fillers by direct addition to the fiber suspension may fall short of the desired goals. The functional filler may fail to be efficiently retained. Gels can serve as carriers of functional paper fillers by coupling with them during in-situ synthesis and the gelation process. This strategy is favorable for the effective utilization of functional paper fillers, without hampering the intrinsic properties of paper. Additional merits of this strategy include versatility and compatibility with existing paper-making processes.