As an alternative raw material for various cellulose derivatives, the current research studied the processing of old corrugated container (OCC) in the subsequent stages of homogenization (soda cooking) and purification (bleaching with hypochlorite). The properties were characterized in four different categories including chemical composition or purity, accessibility, reactivity, and structural features. Alkali delignification and a bleaching sequence of HEHEHEA were selected for homogenization and purification of pulp followed by characterization of the pulp properties. The dissolving pulp exhibited the following properties: yield, 78%; cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content, 90.5%, 7.76%, and 0.3%, respectively; alpha cellulose, 70%. Pulp reactivity measured with two experiments showed Fock reactivity value of 85.67% as well as iodine sorption value (ISV) of 94.95 g/g; accessibility represented by two tests of water retention (WRV) and alkali retention capacity (ARC) with 6.87 for the first and 6.1% for the latter, degree of polymerization (DP), 913.4; crystallinity index, 76.95%; and brightness, 72.87%. FTIR spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) isotherms were utilized to examine the modifications of OCC to dissolving pulp. The results indicated that the dissolving pulp produced from OCC as a raw material is suitable for DP applications of cellulose derivatives.

Chemical surface modification is one method for enhancing the mechanical and barrier properties of packaging paper. The NaOH/urea solvent system has been deemed an effective, inexpensive, and cost-effective solvent for paper modification and cellulose dissolution due to its unique self-reinforcing qualities and the fact that it can be utilized on an industrial scale, although it is ineffective for porous paper and requires pre- or post-treatment. This study examined the influence of acid as a post-treatment on the surface modification of paper with NaOH/urea to improve properties relative to packaging uses. The results indicated that NaOH/urea modification on OCC as a semi-crystalline material did not result in materials with superior resistance and barrier qualities. While acid treatment increased tensile and burst strength and air permeability, it was ineffective at increasing tear strength. Properties of control, NaOH/urea treatment, and acidic post treatment papers were respectively 33.31, 29.4, and 37.46 mn/g in the tensile index, 1.7, 1.58, and 1.74 Kpa.m2/g in burst index, 9.94, 9.07 and 8.87 mn.m2/g in tear index, 2.04, 1.34 and 1.32 s-1 in smoothness, 37.2, 38.2 and 45.4 s in air resistance, and 77.5, 90.8 and 80.5 water absorption. Therefore, with or without acidic post-treatment, the sheets became hydrophilic.