The influences of raw material and papermaking technology on the properties of Fuyang bamboo paper.

Papermaking technology of Fuyang bamboo paper was placing high on the priority catalogue of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2006. The production of Fuyang bamboo paper is complicated. Various raw materials and papermaking technologies will lead to different properties of the bamboo paper. This study selected four kinds of Fuyang bamboo paper with different bamboo species and technologies for experiments. Based on the test results of the fiber micromorphology, density, D65 brightness, tensile index, stretch at break and thermal stability of samples, combined with the properties of the bamboo paper and its background, the influences of the raw material and technology on the properties of Fuyang bamboo paper were investigated in this study. The experimental results showed that the papermaking technologies had influences on the fiber micromorphology and characteristics of paper, which affected the density, strength and other properties of the bamboo paper. Among the four kinds of Fuyang bamboo paper, the paper with the bamboo outer skin in raw material had lower density and D65 brightness. The bamboo outer skin would downgrade some properties of the handmade bamboo paper. Multiple cooking was contributing to pulp beating and improving the tensile index of bamboo paper. However, the pulp fibers and the strength of bamboo paper may be damaged after the long time beating. If bamboo paper is required to have good strength, it should control the best beating time. The treatment of chemical bleaching and multiple cooking can further remove lignin and impurities, so improve the density, D65 brightness and flexibility of Fuyang bamboo paper. However, these two processes would reduce the pyrolysis temperature of bamboo paper and adversely affect its thermal stability. Generally, the paper used for restoring ancient books is required good stability, so it should not be excessively bleached. The initial pyrolysis temperature (T0.05), temperature of 50\% weight loss (T0.5) and temperature of maximum weight loss (Tmax) of the bitter bamboo paper were higher than the moso bamboo paper in the four kinds of Fuyang bamboo paper, which indicated that the bitter bamboo paper had better thermal stability. Consequently, the suitable raw materials and papermaking technologies can be used according to the property requirements of paper. This study discussed the scientific relationship among the properties of Fuyang bamboo paper and its raw materials and papermaking technologies, which could provide scientific references for the selection of raw materials and the optimization of technologies of making Fuyang bamboo paper.