Effect of beating on the Paper-making properties of bagasse cellulose fibers

Abstract The effect of beating on the paper performance of bagasse cellulose fibers was investigated by analyzing changes in morphological parameters (fiber length and fines content), physical properties (tensile strength, breaking length, and tensile force), water retention value (WRV), cellulose crystalline structure, and pore structure of the fibers. The results indicate that the fines content increased by 4.98 % at 80°SR compared with the unbeated sample. Tensile strength, breaking length, and tensile force increased with the beating degree. WRV also increased with beating, showing a rise of 62.89 % after the first refining stage. In contrast, the cellulose crystallinity first increased and then decreased with beating intensity, being 3.1 % lower at 80°SR compared with that at 13°SR. FTIR spectra indicated no significant changes in the functional groups of bagasse cellulose during the beating process. With increasing beating intensity, the pore size distribution gradually shifted toward larger pores, leading to an increase in the average pore volume.