Preparation and characteristics of high performance paper containing titanium dioxide photocatalyst supported on inorganic fiber matrix

A novel paper-based material containing titanium dioxide (TiO₂) photocatalyst was successfully prepared by a papermaking technique with the internal addition of inorganic fibers on which TiO₂ particles were supported. Photodegradation performance of acetaldehyde gas, an indoor pollutant, and the durability of the TiO₂-containing papers were investigated under UV irradiation. Ceramic fiber suspension and polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride as a cationic flocculant were mixed, followed by the addition of TiO₂ suspension and anionic polyacrylamide. Subsequently, the inorganic mixture was poured into a pulp suspension, and TiO₂ handsheets then prepared by a papermaking method. The tensile strength of TiO₂-containing paper without a ceramic carrier decreased by more than 30% after 240-h UV irradiation (2 mW/cm²), although the strength of the TiO₂ sheet with ceramic fibers remained reasonably stable. The efficiency of acetaldehyde decomposition by the TiO₂ paper containing an inorganic carrier was nearly equal to that of the carrier-free TiO₂ paper. Scanning electron microscopic observation suggested that most TiO₂ particles were predominantly supported on the inorganic fiber matrix, and were mostly out of contact with organic pulp fibers. The TiO₂ paper with an inorganic carrier demonstrated both excellent photocatalytic performance and durability, which before had been mutually incompatible for organic materials containing TiO₂ photocatalyst. The two-stage mixing procedure for TiO₂ sheet-making is promising for the simple manufacture of high performance paper with photocatalytic ability.