Materials, Methods & Technologies ISSN 1314-7269, Volume 10, 2016 Journal of International Scientific Publications www.scientific-publications.net Page 224 THE IMPACT OF STORAGE CONDITIONS OF PULP ON ITS SUSCEPTIBILITY TO REFINING AND PROPERTIES OF FIBERS Marta Kucner, Piotr Przybysz, Marcin Dubowik, Kamila Przybysz, Edyta Małachowska Lodz University of Technology, Institute of Papermaking and Printing, 223 Wolczanska Street, 90- 924 Lodz, Poland Abstract This article presents the impact of a degree of polymerization on the papermaking potential of paper. Bleached pinewood kraft pulp from one of paper mills was used for research purposes. The main objective of this work was to investigate the influence of a degree of polymerisation of pulp on the properties of fibres such as water retention value (WRV) and the fines content etc. Different degrees of polymerization were obtained as a result of the pulp drying at different temperatures (105˚C, 130˚C and 150˚C) for a period from 1 hour up to 150 hours. During the drying process, a visible decrease in a degree of polymerization of cellulose in hornified fibres occurs. Significant differences in pulp properties can be observed in particular in case of pulps dried at a very high temperature (150°C) and in case of a long drying time (150 h). Key words: paper, papermaking potential, drying, cellulose pulps, WRV, temperature INTRODUCTION Paper, in view of a relatively low price, is widely used in economy and everyday life. Paper is produced from available vegetable raw materials, which constitute a basic renewable source in papermaking. Waste paper can be processed several times in order to recover fibers. Its biodegradability makes it an eco-friendly material and it is produced on a mass scale. Paper has gained a stable position among industrial products used in developed societies (CEPI 2012) (Fornalski 2012). The increase in paper consumption is a result of the development of technology, economy and a standard of living. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the increase in paper consumption stood at approximately 394 million tonnes (Przybysz 2014). The degradation of paper has ceased to be secret knowledge due to long-term research initiated and conducted by libraries and archives. However, it is common that older books or manuscripts are better preserved. In many cases, materials made from pulp more than 150 years ago are in better condition than those made 50 years ago. Some types of paper degrade faster whereas others are more resistant to aging. Historically produced paper from cotton and linen rags ages more slowly. This paper was produced until the mid-nineteenth century and it is still strong and durable. In particular, if it was properly stored at a suitable temperature and low humidity (Jagiellonian University Library 2016). The speed of decomposition of paper is affected by the following physical, chemical and mechanical factors:  components of paper,  chemistry of their decomposition,  acids,  alkali,  oxidants,  temperature,  UV radiation,  storage conditions of paper, etc.