The Influence of Papermaking Process on the Properties of Chinese Handmade Bamboo Paper

Abstract Bamboo paper is one of the most important types of traditional handmade paper in China. The manufacturing processes of bamboo paper can be categorized into cold digestion (uncooked) and hot digestion (cooked) methods. Different production processes have different effects on the properties of paper. This article studies the effects of different processes on the properties of bamboo paper through scientific experiments on basic physical properties, mechanical properties, pH, degree of polymerization, optical properties, chemical structure, crystalline structure, microscopic morphology, and aging resistance of bamboo paper produced by different processes. The results showed that cooking, post-fermentation, and bleaching in the papermaking process were the main factors affecting the properties of bamboo paper. Paper prepared from cooked pulp is superior to paper prepared from uncooked pulp in terms of pH, folding endurance, crystallinity indices, and aging resistance, but long post-fermentation processes and chemical bleaching would have adverse effects on the physicochemical properties and aging resistance of cooked paper. The research results showed that the key to making high-quality bamboo paper lies in the repeated weak alkali cooking of raw materials, a short post-fermentation process, and the minimal use of strong chemical bleaching agents.