Evaluation of Papermaking Applicability of Organic Fillers Derived from Pruned Apple and Pear Branches; [사과 · 배 전정 부산물 유래 유기충전제의 제지 적용 가능성 평가]

초록

Substantial amounts of agricultural by-products are generated annually, however, much of this biomass is still disposed of through incineration rather than material valorization. In this study, organic fillers derived from pruned apple and pear branches were produced via a ball-milling process to investigate their feasibility as alternative fillers for papermaking. The resulting spherical organic particles exhibited an average particle size of 9.67 µm, along with higher lignin and extractive contents compared to wood powder, and displayed a negatively charged surface (-13.7 mV). Handsheets containing the organic fillers showed increases of approximately 20 in compressive strength and 18 in bending stiffness under optimized conditions relative to the control. Notably, the combined use of the fillers with a retention aid further enhanced the retention rate of fine particles, leading to a 34 increase in bending stiffness compared with handsheets with 10 filler alone. Overall, these findings demonstrate that fruit-tree pruning residues can be converted into functional organic fillers with promising applicability as sustainable alternatives in papermaking processes. © 2026, Korean Technical Assoc. of the Pulp and Paper Industry. All rights reserved.

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