Effect of recycling on the surface and pore structure of wood fibre

The effect of recycling on the surface and pore structure of kraft and TMP fibre is explored through water retention measurements and atomic force microscopy. Recycling reduces the nanoscale roughness of the surface of kraft fibre; TMP is relatively unaffected. The effect of the rate of drying was determined by drying fibre in air, on a hot plate, and in a microwave oven. Drying at a faster rate increases the degree of hornification, but leaves the surface structure relatively unaffected. Sucrose, which is known to inhibit hornification, partially protects both surface and pore structures from changes caused by recycling.