A study on the transmission haze and mechanical properties of highly transparent paper with different fiber species

Transparent paper with high transmission haze has garnered great attention due to its potential applications in light management of optoelectronics as a bulk optical material. Herein, we investigated the transmission haze and mechanical properties of transparent paper with different fiber species. The morphological dimensions of cellulose fibers (Northwood, Eucalyptus wood, Manila hemp) before and after 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) treatment were investigated in detail. The effect of fiber morphology and preparation methods on transmission haze and mechanical properties (tensile strength, Young’s modulus, bursting strength) of the resultant paper was then analyzed. The results showed that transparent paper with TEMPO-treated northern fibers possessed highest optical transmittance and transmission haze, as well as strongest mechanical strength compared to two other transparent paper. Furthermore, transparent paper prepared by solution casting exhibited higher mechanical strength, but lower transmission haze compared to paper prepared by vacuum filtration. It’s worth noting that sub-micro and nanofiber partially contributed to the transparency and mechanical properties of the resulting transparent paper. This work sheds light on the preparation of highly transparent and strong paper with excellent light scattering behavior for manipulating light behavior of optoelectronics as a bulk optical material.