Effect of Moisture and Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Paper

A molecular model involving only hydrogen bond interactions is successful in explaining the effects of temperature and moisture on the elastic modulus of paper. Concepts of glass transitions, free volume, and plasticization help explain the role of temperature and moisture in affecting paper’s properties in terms that elicit the importance of paper’s macromolecular structure. Ultimate strength properties, inelastic deformations, creep, and rupture, while dependent greatly on morphological and network characteristics, are influenced by temperature and moisture through paper’s macromolecular nature and largely through processes that involve the making and breaking of hydrogen bonds. Phenomena involving the combined effects of temperature, moisture, and time are both the least understood in fundamental terms and the most promising in terms of their potential exploitation for developing new papermaking technologies.