Preparation of Antibacterial Paper by Filling Tetrapod-like Zinc Oxide Whiskers at Wet End
Qian Xue-ren · China Pulp & Paper · 2010
The application possibility of tetrapod-like zinc oxide whiskers (T-ZnOw) in the preparation of antibacterial paper was studied through comparing with the application of powder-like zinc oxide particles (ZnO). The results showed that the preparation of antibacterial paper by wet-end filling T-ZnOw is technically feasible. Filling a certain amount of T-ZnOw has little effect on the strength properties of the paper. A higher retention of T-ZnOw can be obtained even without using any retention aid. T-ZnOw filling is beneficial to the improvement of the brightness and opacity of the paper. The antibacterial paper filled with T-ZnOw shows broad-spectrum antibacterial properties,and its inhibitory efficiency is higher than that of the antibacterial paper filled with ZnO. The T-ZnO whiskers in paper samples are in tetrapod shape,and all or part of the pods of T-ZnOw are embedded in the fibers. While the ZnO particles in the paper samples are in near spherical shape,and distributed on the fiber surface or in the cell lumen.