Research on the physical properties of calcium sulfate whisker and the effects of its addition on paper and its printing performance

Abstract In this investigation, softwood pulp and bleached wheat straw pulp were used as raw materials, and Calcium Sulfate Whiskers (CSW) were used as fillers. Based on the structural properties and characteristics of CSW, the printing properties of the paper with CSW, such as whiteness, opacity, pH value, uniformity, Z-direction tensile strength and surface strength, were analyzed. The results showed that CSW has low solubility, high retention and fiber-like appearance. The whiteness of the paper is the best when the filling amount of CSW is 20 %. The paper opacity of softwood pulp increases significantly, and the opacity of bleached wheat straw pulp decreases significantly when CSW is more than 30 %. The addition reduces pH and surface strength of the paper. The evenness of the paper does not change obviously. The Z-direction tensile strength of the paper decreases in the softwood paper, but increases obviously in the bleached wheat straw paper.