Abstract:This study investigated the effects of different bleaching sequences on the pulp properties of Pteroceltis tatarinowii bark and the resulting paper properties. Three types of bleached Pteroceltis tatarinowii bark pulps were evaluated in terms of their physical properties and ink permeability when used to produce Xuan paper, and the results were compared with those of commercial Xuan paper. The results showed that the D(EP) and OQP bleaching sequences produced pulps with superior brightness, viscosity, and paper strength compared to commercial pulps bleached with Ca(ClO)2. Among them, the D(EP) bleached pulp exhibited the highest brightness (84.5%), viscosity (903 mL/g), breaking length (5.78 km), bursting index (4.26 kPa·m²/g), tearing index (22.1 mN·m²/g), and folding endurance (1 420 times). The PP bleached pulp showed slightly lower paper physical strength compared to the commercial pulp.Comparing the papers made from the three bleached Pteroceltis tatarinowii bark pulps with commercial Xuan paper, both D(EP) and OQP bleached pulps yielded superior brightness, physical strength, and resistance to brightness loss during aging. Specifically, Xuan papers made from D(EP) bleached pulp achieved the best in terms of brightness, breaking length, tearing index, and the brightness loss after aging, respectively: Te Pi, 78.1%, 3.82 km, 12.1 mN·m²/g, and 1.03%; for Jing Pi, 77.3%, 3.24 km, 11.7 mN·m²/g, and 1.54%; and for Mian Liao, 75.7%, 3.30 km, 9.53 mN·m²/g, and 2.76%. The PP bleached pulp-based Xuan paper showed slightly lower physical strength than the commercial counterpart. In terms of bulk density and ink permeability, all three bleached pulps—PP, D(EP), and OQP—produced papers comparable to commercial Xuan paper. |