Abstract
To examine the increase of paper strength by solvent-bonding using N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO), a paper was treated with aqueous solutions of NMMO, concentrated at $90^\circ{C}$ for selected periods of time, and pressed for 5 seconds followed by washing and drying. The effect of the increasing NMMO concentration on bonding state and some important properties of samples were mainly investigated. With increasing concentration of NMMO, the degree of bonding between fibers was increased, the fiber cross-sectional shape was changed from 'thin ribbonlike' to 'round rodlike' by swelling with solvent, and the longitudinal waves (crimp) were introduced to fibers, hence the shrinkage, weight per unit area, and thickness of paper were increased. Consequently, the tensile strength and elongation, under standard and wet conditions, and the stiffness were increased, and the water absorption was decreased generally with increasing concentration of NMMO. The moisture regain of treated samples was lower than that of the untreated sample, because of the reduction of space between fibers. But the moisture regain was increased a little with increasing concentration of NMMO due to the fiber swelling with NMMO followed by structural relaxation.
