Effect of polyelectrolyte multi-layering on the electrochemical properties of recycled fibers

The electrochemical characteristics of pulp fibers must be important for paper strength properties. The present study deals with changes in the electrochemical properties of recycled fibers treated by polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs). Recycled fibers were successively treated by PEMs of cationic starch (CS) - anionic starch (AS) and PEM of cationic starch (CS) – anionic CMC. The zeta potential (ζ-potential) inversions indicated that PEMs were constituted onto the fibers adding both CS/AS and CS/CMC pair polymers, but more regular and higher ζ-potential inversions occurred in CS/CMC PEM due to the further charge-suited of pair polymers. Accordingly, stronger papers with TEA of about 77.8 J/m2 were made from fibers treated with CS/CMC PEMs compare to those of made from CS/AS treated fibers with TEA of about 59.3 J/m2.