Abstract
Environment-friendly shock-absorbing materials were made of wastepaper such as Korean old corrugated containers(KOCC) and Korean old newsprint (KONP) with a vacuum forming method. The plate-like cushioning materials made of KOCC and KONP respectively by vacuum forming showed superior shock-absorbing properties with lower elastic moduli compared to expanded polystyrene (EPS) and pulp mold. Even though the plate-like materials had many free voids in their fiber structure, their apparent densities (${\approx}0.1g/cm^3$) were a little higher than that of EPS (${\approx}0.03g/cm^3$) and much lower than that of pulp mold(${\approx}0.3g/cm^3$). However, the elastic moduli of the cushioning materials made of wastepaper were much lower than that of EPS or pulp mold. This finding implies that the cushioning materials made of KOCC fibers containing more lignin than KONP show better shock-absorbing properties than KONP. Moreover, the cushioning materials made of KOCC and KONP respectively showed greater porosity than pulp mold. The addition of cationic starch to the cushioning materials contributed to the increase in the elastic modulus to the same level as that of EPS. Furthermore, the deterioration in fiber quality by repeated use of wastepaper played a positive role in improving shock-absorbing ability.
