Effect of PFI mill and Valley beater refining on cellulose degree of polymerization, alpha cellulose contents, and crystallinity of wood and cotton fibers

Abstract

Manufacturing fabrics from dissolving cellulosic pulp is increasing in these days. For making high quality of cellulose-based fabrics, control of cellulose DP (degree of polymerization), its alpha cellulose content, its brightness, and its crystallinity are important. To process the cellulosic raw material, refining of cellulosic fibers is essential, and it is important to know if refining affects those important cellulose properties. The effects of PFI mill and Valley beater refining on the alpha-cellulose content, cellulose DP, crystallinity, and paper mechanical properties of wood and two different cotton fibers were studied. The results showed that PFI mill refining rarely affected those properties. Fibers refined by a Valley beater displayed a small reduction in fiber length in comparison with those refined by a PFI mill. However, the Valley beater refining method produced almost no changes in cellulose properties, either. The refining process seemed to have very little effect on the cellulose DP, crystallinity index, or alpha-cellulose content until the freeness decreased to around 300 mL CSF for wood and 100 mL CSF for cotton fibers, respectively. There were also no differences in tensile strength development in two refining methods.