Developments in nano-additives for paper industry

Abstract

The economic benefits of the paper industry made it one of the most important industrial sectors in the world. This review will focus on the recent development of nanotechnology, in the context of additives used in the paper industry. Nanotechnology is used to alter the production process based on the changes towards resource-based and industrial knowledge, prompting the changes in a similar direction, with much greater emphasis on stability. Nanofiber, nanofiller, nanocomposites, and nanoscale chemicals used in paper applications forms the crux of the work. The application and production of nano-additives to the paper industry have attracted the attention of scientists and researchers, due to the resulting profound improvement to the properties of the produced papers, encompassing mechanical, printability, glossiness, and gas barrier properties. The purported benefits of nano-additives are numerous, among them high surface area, strength, and low weight, high stiffness, and maintained sustainability. However, the integration of nanotechnology in the paper industry could not be up-scaled or commercialized, due to a few challenges, which are increased cost, lack of compatibility among materials, and knowledge gap.