Squillante, Flavia Rosa (2025) Formulation of supports made of cellulose and natural fibers of different origins. [Tesi di dottorato]

Documento PDF Squillante_FlaviaRosa_38.pdf Visibile a [TBR] Amministratori dell'archivio Download (37MB) | Richiedi una copia

Abstract

In contemporary times, there exists a pronounced economic and commercial interdependence on a global scale, where each community exerts influence over the entirety of humanity. Within this context, sustainability assumes a critical role. Plastic, for instance, has significantly contributed to global warming and environmental pollution due to its widespread dispersion. In contrast, paper does not exhibit the same detrimental effects, which has led to a gradual transition from plastic to paper, particularly in the packaging industry. However, cellulose alone, which constitutes paper, does not exhibit the same performance characteristics as plastic; therefore, the incorporation of additives, fillers, and coatings is necessary. These additional substances can be sourced from natural origins, as well as from waste and exhausted materials, adhering to the principles of upcycling. Thus, sustainability is enhanced by repurposing discarded materials, reducing environmental impact, and promoting a circular economy. This project aims to integrate natural alternative fibres, such as agricultural residues and textile waste, into the cellulosic matrix to create plastic substitutes. These speciality papers can be used in various applications, including luxury packaging, artistic paper, moulded pulp supports, bespoke paper, innovative solutions, premium labels, and self-adhesive materials. The introduction of alternative materials, however, faces two challenges: a) technological adequacy b) availability In the first case, there is a need to maintain the structural and technological performance of products unchanged, so the use of specific additives and/or processes must be appropriately calibrated. In the second case, considering the wide product demand, there could be an excessive request for raw materials that is difficult to satisfy: the cellulosic and alternative fibres availability has to balance it. Several possible ways to achieve these goals exist, and in this regard, a careful investigation of the candidate alternative fibres for their upcycling is needed. Consequently, a first phase of sorting is required, where fibres are catalogued and those of interest are treated. The second step includes a pretreatment (mechanical or chemical) process to make the alternative fibres available. A third step consists of a pulping process to guarantee the interactions between virgin cellulose and selected fibres. Most natural fibres are characterised by a high cellulose content, which makes them ideal materials for papermaking. Thanks to their hydrophilic nature, they disperse excellently in water, forming the so-called pulp. The interaction between water and cellulosic fibres is guaranteed by the hydrogen and oxygen atoms present on the surface of the fibres. A paper sheet formation stage follows. Subsequently, the analysis of chemo-physical, mechanical and optical properties is done. In this way, these are compared to pure cellulose sheets to verify their potential. The fibres which show the better properties, the optimal qualities and the most original additional properties are taken into account for a scale-up process. This last process consists of using an automatic pilot machine, substituting the semi-automatic lab-scale one. Finally, the alternative fibres which have good performance with the automatic system can be introduced in industrial-scale machines. The final product will be used for primary and secondary packaging applied in several industrial sectors, such as Food & Beverage, Wine, Fashion and Luxury, Drawing, Personal & Home Care, Design, Pharmaceutical, Publishing, and Advertising. In all these fields, two kinds of consumer goods are taken into account: • Fast-moving consumer Goods (FMCG), produced in high numbers but with low added value; • The goods linked to fashion, luxury and personal care (L&PC) sectors, which are low in number but with high added value. In summary, the primary and secondary packaging of FMCG and L&PC goods can be turned into more eco-friendly products by changing the chemical formulation. This formulation includes virgin and waste alternative materials deriving from agricultural, textile and plastic realities, used as filler in a cellulosic matrix. Original alternative fibres should be capable of compensating for the lack of plastic. Therefore, in the attempt to make production more sustainable, some issues must be managed: - increasing as much as possible the paper recycling actions; - the upcycling of waste natural fibres is available enough; - adequate incorporation of alternative fibres in cellulose to obtain an adequate paper-based material; - the desire to preserve, with these new formulations, the same properties of plastic-based packaging; - the capacity to bear the increasing customer demand for packaging material with green requirements like naturalness and sustainability.

Downloads

Actions (login required)

Modifica documento