The preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose from corncob residue and its effects on paper properties

In this study, corncob residue was treated in advance with different three methods in order to remove lignin. The treated fibers were characterized using Zeta potential, WRV, and FAS-VII fiber analysis methods. The lignin removal rates of the corncob residue treated with sodium hypochlorite were determined to reach up to 92.81%. The average fiber length was 0.65 mm, and the average width was 34.11 µm. In addition, the obtained cellulose was modified by carboxymethylation to prepare carboxymethyl cellulose. The results indicated that the carboxymethyl cellulose obtained from the corncob residue could significantly improve the properties of paper. For example, when 1% carboxymethyl cellulose was added, the burst index, tensile index, folding endurance, and tear index of the experimental paper were improved by 16.7%, 27.65%, 57.3%, and 18.2%, respectively, compared with the control. The results of this study’s SEM analysis showed that the addition of carboxymethyl cellulose from corncob residue resulted in the fibers becoming more tightly combined, which in turn led to the improvement of paper strength properties.