Utilization of barley and wheat straw for the production of paper and nanocellulose solutions

Abstract

The increasing emphasis on product durability and the sustainable utilization of residual biomass has motivated the development of enhanced paper materials from agricultural byproducts. This study investigates barley and wheat straw soda pulps reinforced with nanocellulose derived from the same feedstocks. The aim was to enhance mechanical properties of paper by incorporating natural, compatible nanocellulose suspensions. Tensile and burst index were evaluated as key parameters. The highest tensile index was achieved for barley pulp treated with a Cadoxen-based nanocellulose suspension, reaching nearly 20 N<middle dot>m<middle dot>g-1, even at a lower basis weight than the untreated reference sheets. The burst index also showed a significant increase compared with the control samples. These results demonstrate the potential of nanocellulose derived from cereal straw as a sustainable additive for improving the strength of paper products made from agricultural residues.