Preparation of a Novel Adhesive from Highly Fibrillated Kozo Fibre for Paper Conservation

In this study, Kozo fibres were fibrillated using the stone wet milling method and the wet atomisation method both deriving from nanocellulose production processes. Kozo fibres with a high degree of external fibrillation were obtained by using the stone mill wet grinding method. Although fibres exhibited the same structure as untreated Kozo fibres, their bonding properties improved. Applying the wet atomisation method, fibrillated Kozo fibres with different degrees of fibrillation were obtained depending on the number of treatments. Fibrillated Kozo fibres can be used in conservation as an adhesive for lining and other stabilisation treatments and may in certain cases replace starch paste, which is susceptible to microbiological damage. Only Kozo fibres and water were used in both mechanical fibrillation methods; therefore, the resulting material can be considered a safe alternative to more traditional adhesives.