Influence of polyelectrolyte complexes on the strength properties of papers from unbleached kraft pulps with different yields

The properties of the materials combined in corrugated board are set to give the board its strength, flexibility and protection towards impact and pressure. The raw material is of course the single fibre but additives that enhance e.g. the wet and dry paper strength are also added. As the strength enhancing additives used today are most efficient between pH 4 and pH 7 there is a need for new types of additives that can be used under alkaline conditions. In the present report polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) of PAH and polyacrylic acid (PAA) were investigated as strength enhancing additives. The components can be used under alkaline conditions and results showed that PAH alone or incorporated into a PEC gave different effects regarding strength properties of sheets from kraft pulps of different yields. The results showed that by treating the fibres with PEC´s of PAH and PAA it was possible to considerably increase the tensile properties, the Z-strength and the compression strength of papers made from the treated fibres. The results showed an increase of as much as 54 % to 180 % in dry Z-strength and 14 % to 53 % in compression strength, when using the PEC as an additive, indicating an increase in inter-fibre joint strength. It was also found that a heat treatment of the non-treated papers and of the papers from the PAH treated fibres gave a large improvement in tensile properties as well as Z-strength properties for the different pulps. For the PEC treated fibres it was not necessary to heat-treat the paper to achieve a higher dry strength. The molecular mechanism behind the large improvements is not identified in the present work but the problem is currently being investigated in the lab of the authors.