Use of thermomechanical pulp fibers from waste woods for making eco-friendly cushioning material

Abstract

Eco-friendly cushioning materials were made with thermomechanical pulps (TMPs) from waste woods collected from local mountains in Korea, using a suction-forming method without physical pressing. The TMP cushions had superior shock-absorbing performance, with lower elastic moduli than expanded polystyrene (EPS) or molded pulp. Even though the TMP cushions made using various suction times had many voids in their inner fiber structure, their apparent densities were a little higher than that of EPS and much lower than that of molded pulp. The addition of cationic starch contributed to an increase in the elastic modulus of the TMP cushions without increasing the apparent density, an effect which was different from that of surface sizing with starch. In the impact test, the TMP cushions showed a more ductile pattern than the brittle EPS. The porosity of the TMP cushion was a little less than that of EPS and much greater than that of molded pulp. The porous structure of the TMP cushions contributed to their excellent thermal insulating capacity, which was equivalent to that of EPS. In summary, the TMP packing cushions showed great potential for surviving external impacts during product distribution.