Abstract
Paper is a composite consisted of various solid materials including pulp, filler and other additives. The pore is also one of components consisting the paper structure. Thus the characterization of pore structure of paper is very helpful in the understanding the structural properties of paper. Mercury intrusion technique is frequently used for the characterization of the porous paper, giving access to parameters such as pore size and pore distribution. But some researchers pointed out the problem that the distortion of the pore structure can be occurred by the application of high pressure during mercury intrusion. Thus in this study, we tried to evaluate the potential of SEM and image analysis method as means for analyzing pore structure of the paper. The new pore analysis technique with SEM and image analysis does not require the application of high pressure, and gave better relation between the measured pore characteristics and the bulk of sheet than mercury intrusion method.
