Thermomechanical pulping of spruce chips was done in a wing defibrator in the following conditions: temperatures of 130-170 �C for 2 or 5 min. Screened pulps (0.2 mm-slot) were tested by Canadian Standard Freeness and optical microscopy to study the extent of fibrillation.Hand sheets were prepared using water recirculation and tested for regular and zero-span tensile strength. Small pieces were gold sputtered and imaged using a scanning electron microscope. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to quantify the amount of surface lignin in the samples.Energy consumption decreased as temperature increased, and it yielded hydrophobic, lignin-coated fibers that formed weak fiber networks. Use of natural fibers in composites requires compatibility with hydrophobic matrices. As opposed to using separate coupling agents, high-temperature thermomechanical pulping enables simple production of hydrophobic fibers consisting only of natural polymers. Further photoelasticity testing will be performed to study the adhesion between the fibers and epoxy resin.

High-temperature thermomechanical pulp as a potential reinforcing element in composites

245th National Meeting (2013)

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