Paper Ageing: The Effect of Paper Chemical Composition on Hydrolysis and Oxidation

The degradation of cellulose is an important factor influencing its mechanical, optical, physical, and chemical properties and, hence, the lifetime of paper in libraries and archival collections. Regardless of the complexity of the paper material, the main chemical pathways for its degradation are h...

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Main Authors: Edyta Małachowska, Dominika Pawcenis, Jacek Dańczak, Joanna Paczkowska, Kamila Przybysz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
Series:Polymers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/7/1029
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spelling doaj-164e9349ec004f998957b4e267b901582021-03-27T00:01:46ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602021-03-01131029102910.3390/polym13071029Paper Ageing: The Effect of Paper Chemical Composition on Hydrolysis and OxidationEdyta Małachowska0Dominika Pawcenis1Jacek Dańczak2Joanna Paczkowska3Kamila Przybysz4Institute of Wood Sciences and Furniture, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 159 Nowoursynowska Str., 02-787 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 2 Gronostajowa Str., 30-387 Kraków, PolandNatural Fibers Advanced Technologies, 42A Blekitna Str., 93-322 Lodz, PolandFaculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 2 Gronostajowa Str., 30-387 Kraków, PolandNatural Fibers Advanced Technologies, 42A Blekitna Str., 93-322 Lodz, PolandThe degradation of cellulose is an important factor influencing its mechanical, optical, physical, and chemical properties and, hence, the lifetime of paper in libraries and archival collections. Regardless of the complexity of the paper material, the main chemical pathways for its degradation are hydrolysis and oxidation. This study presents an overview of the analytical techniques employed in the evaluation of the hydrolysis and oxidation processes; these techniques include size-exclusion chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. This paper aims to determine the extent to which these instrumental methods are useful for studying the aforementioned processes and for which lignin contents. It also highlights how atmospheric humidity could affect the cellulose structure in paper containing lignin. It was found that humidity causes significant changes in the cellulose chain lengths and that a high lignin content in paper could suppress some cellulose degradation pathways. This knowledge can be applied to developing strategies and selective chemical treatments preventing the consequences of paper ageing.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/7/1029cellulose degradationcellulose depolymerisationhydrolysisoxidationcrystallinitypaper ageing
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Edyta Małachowska
Dominika Pawcenis
Jacek Dańczak
Joanna Paczkowska
Kamila Przybysz
spellingShingle Edyta Małachowska
Dominika Pawcenis
Jacek Dańczak
Joanna Paczkowska
Kamila Przybysz
Paper Ageing: The Effect of Paper Chemical Composition on Hydrolysis and Oxidation
Polymers
cellulose degradation
cellulose depolymerisation
hydrolysis
oxidation
crystallinity
paper ageing
author_facet Edyta Małachowska
Dominika Pawcenis
Jacek Dańczak
Joanna Paczkowska
Kamila Przybysz
author_sort Edyta Małachowska
title Paper Ageing: The Effect of Paper Chemical Composition on Hydrolysis and Oxidation
title_short Paper Ageing: The Effect of Paper Chemical Composition on Hydrolysis and Oxidation
title_full Paper Ageing: The Effect of Paper Chemical Composition on Hydrolysis and Oxidation
title_fullStr Paper Ageing: The Effect of Paper Chemical Composition on Hydrolysis and Oxidation
title_full_unstemmed Paper Ageing: The Effect of Paper Chemical Composition on Hydrolysis and Oxidation
title_sort paper ageing: the effect of paper chemical composition on hydrolysis and oxidation
publisher MDPI AG
series Polymers
issn 2073-4360
publishDate 2021-03-01
description The degradation of cellulose is an important factor influencing its mechanical, optical, physical, and chemical properties and, hence, the lifetime of paper in libraries and archival collections. Regardless of the complexity of the paper material, the main chemical pathways for its degradation are hydrolysis and oxidation. This study presents an overview of the analytical techniques employed in the evaluation of the hydrolysis and oxidation processes; these techniques include size-exclusion chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. This paper aims to determine the extent to which these instrumental methods are useful for studying the aforementioned processes and for which lignin contents. It also highlights how atmospheric humidity could affect the cellulose structure in paper containing lignin. It was found that humidity causes significant changes in the cellulose chain lengths and that a high lignin content in paper could suppress some cellulose degradation pathways. This knowledge can be applied to developing strategies and selective chemical treatments preventing the consequences of paper ageing.
topic cellulose degradation
cellulose depolymerisation
hydrolysis
oxidation
crystallinity
paper ageing
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/7/1029
work_keys_str_mv AT edytamałachowska paperageingtheeffectofpaperchemicalcompositiononhydrolysisandoxidation
AT dominikapawcenis paperageingtheeffectofpaperchemicalcompositiononhydrolysisandoxidation
AT jacekdanczak paperageingtheeffectofpaperchemicalcompositiononhydrolysisandoxidation
AT joannapaczkowska paperageingtheeffectofpaperchemicalcompositiononhydrolysisandoxidation
AT kamilaprzybysz paperageingtheeffectofpaperchemicalcompositiononhydrolysisandoxidation
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