Posted: July 15, 2009

Micro- and nanotechnology in paper manufacturing

(Nanowerk News) This new book – Micro and Nanotechnology in Paper Manufacturing – introduces significant developments that micro- and nanotechnologies have brought, and will bring, to the paper industry.
  • Increased understanding of the thermodynamic and the chemical properties of cellobiose and lignocellulosic raw materials has provided the base to design new energy efficient and environmentally friendly fibrelines.
  • Genetically modified lignin-deficient trees with higher pulp yield and at short rotation have already been planned.
  • Innovation in paper production from agro-residues and recycled fibre.
  • The paper industry has come closer to its holy grail of achieving higher pulp yield with reduce water consumption, energy consumption and reduced pollutant concentration in effluents discharged. This has been supported by micro particle and micro polymer technologies that have been in application for several years enhancing the retention and drainage properties at the wet end.
  • The concept of zero-effluent discharge mills appears to become a possibility because of innovative nanofiltration and membrane technologies. Biotechnological applications including aerobic and anaerobic treatment systems are being improvised every year with better understanding at micro levels
  • Micro and nano size high-performance engineered minerals and oxides, are already in production, imparting superior optical, surface and printability properties to the paper.
  • Paper Machinery manufacturers have started producing paper machine rolls and fabrics with a micro and a nano base. Online quality measurements using micro sensors are becoming almost common now for production of paper with consistent quality. Nanocoating process has already been adopted by many paper mills, producing paper of very high quality.
  • The latest concept of pulp mill as a biorefinery has opened up new avenues for the pulp and paper mills to become a profitable industry. Harnessing of new energy in pulp and paper mill has already started - notably wind and solar energy.
  • Production of intelligent wood, composites and packaging material is advancing at a rapid pace
  • Nanotechnology has been embraced substantially in the production of packaging materials for security, counterfeiting, safety and antimicrobial purpose. New types of antibacterial paper, tissue paper and newsprint have recently been produced using nanotechnology.
  • Whilst there has already been significant growth in nanotechnology and its application in the paper industry, there is going to be an explosion in the application of these technologies in the future. The future will see a shift in the way scientists, academicians, and industries apply nanotechnology in the paper industry – the shift will be from the current top down application to a wider bottom-up application of the technology. This shift in approach will see a tectonic shift and change in the paper industry.
    This book for the first time addresses the specific subject of nanotechnology in the paper industry and in related industries. At the same time, the author recognizes that Nanotechnology is an emerging and a new technology, so the book starts with an introduction to the basic concepts and terminology of Nanotechnology.
    The book consists of 37 chapters divided into five sections. The first section is designed to familiarize both beginners and advanced readers with the basic concepts, terminology and latest developments in nano-technology. The section also provides an overview of the impact and general application of nano-technology across several industries.
    Section 2 covers nanotechnology in raw materials and on the different stages of paper manufacturing. Section 3 covers nanotechnology in packaging, printing and in specialty papers. Section 4 covers nanotechnology in production techniques, environmental and in energy issues. Section 5 covers the latest research and development initiatives on nanotechnology and the future of nanotechnology.
    About the author
    Dr. Mahendra Patel, Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and 2nd doctorat from University of Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris has more than 200 publications, 8 patents, supervised 5 Ph.D. thesis and received Malavya Award from Indian Ceramic Society and Samanta Chandra Shekhar Award from Orissa Vigyan Academy.
    He is in the Editorial Board/Advisory Board of X-Ray Spectrometry (from 1985), Indian Journal of Chemical Technology, Inpaper and Paper India; earlier in Silicates industrials (Belgium), IPPTA Journal, J.Sci. and Ind.Res., Res.& Ind., Ind .J. Tech.etc.
    He served as Director, Pulp and Paper Research Institute and Executive Secretary of Indian Pulp and Paper Technical Society. Earlier he was Scientist in Regional Research Laboratory of Bhopal and Trivandrum( CSIR); National Aluminium Co and Tata Chemicals Ltd. His contributed enermously during Bhopal Gas Tragedy and in the Project stage of NALCO
    With his multidisciplinary scientific and Industrial knowledge, he is now dedicated to the developments in Pulp and Paper Industries and published books, entitled,” Minerals in Paper Manufacturing”. and "Micro and Nanotechnology in Paper Manufacturing". He has written Industry Insight for PIRA INTERNATIONAL on "Antibacterial Paper" and book, "Developments in Tissue Converting and Packaging".
    Source: industrypaper.net