MICROGEL BASED ADHESIVES FOR WET PAPER STRENGTH MICROGEL BASED ADHESIVES FOR WET PAPER STRENGTH By

iii The interactions of microgel based adhesives with cellulose were studied by peel test of cellulose laminates and tensile test of handsheets. The objective of this project was to create design rules for microgel based adhesives so as to improve the wet paper strength. Colloidal microgel based adhesives were formed by coating carboxylated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels with polyvinylamine (PVAm). The characterization of the microgel base adhesives were performed by electrophoretic mobilities, dynamic light scattering, and potentiometric titration. The microgel based adhesives were pH sensitive and their swelling behaviour was related to the composition of PVAm in the microgels. The maximum amount of PVAm binding to microgels depends on the location of charges in the microgels and the molecular weight of PVAm. The binding process of PVAm to microgels was monitored by quartz crystal microbalance measurements. It is proposed that the binding of PVAm to microgels is controlled by the rate of initial attachment of PVAm and the rate of reconfiguration o