Relationship between Equilibrium Moisture Contents and Dimensional Stability of Handsheet Depending on Fibers Hornification

The conditions to which pulp fibers are exposed during paper production, converting, storage, use, and recycling can induce various changes in fiber morphology, surface characteristics, and suitability for paper production by recycled fibers. Most of those changes can be described by hornification. Paper has highly hygroscopic properties which affect dimensional change by relative humidity variation of surrounding condition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dimensional stability, moisture contents and dip elongation of handsheets at different relative humidity conditions of recycled kraft pulp and BCTMP. By using recycled fibers, dimensional stability was increased because hygroscopic properties of fibers decreased with repeated recycling treatment. Dip elongation of recycled pulp was higher than that of virgin pulp because of its weak fiber-to-fiber bonding. By recycling pulp, the relative bonded area was decreased because fiber could not swell more than virgin pulp. Dimensional stability largely depended on the equilibrium moisture contents of paper, the fiber-to-fiber bonding strength, and the relative bonded area.