Cellulose microspheres (CMS) are a type of spherical regenerated cellulose particles with versatile properties which have been used as carrier materials in medical and technical applications. The integration of CMS into paper products opens up novel application scenarios for paper products in a wide range of fields. However, the incorporation of CMS carriers into paper products is challenging and hitherto no reports do exist in literature. Here, we present a feasibility study to incorporate up to 50 w.% CMS in paper hand sheets using retention aids. Our primary observations highlight the successful formation of uniform paper hand sheets retaining its tensile strengths at elevated CMS concentrations. Sheets with high CMS contents exhibit an increase in density and display enhanced surface smoothness — an outcome of a CMS layer forming atop the fiber base — which effectively bridges voids and rectifies surface irregularities as supported by Gurley testing, infinite focus microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. While our primary objective centered on the general feasibility to manufacture CMS-containing papers, the resulting composite scaffold carries significant potential as a platform for innovative, functional paper-based materials.

中文翻译：

---

纤维素微球与纸浆纤维的融合：创造一种非常规类型的纸张

纤维素微球（CMS）是一种具有多种性能的球形再生纤维素颗粒，已被用作医疗和技术应用中的载体材料。 CMS与纸制品的集成为纸制品在各个领域开辟了新的应用场景。然而，将 CMS 载体掺入纸制品具有挑战性，迄今为止文献中尚无相关报道。在这里，我们提出了一项可行性研究，使用助留剂将高达 50 w.% 的 CMS 掺入手抄纸中。我们的主要观察结果强调了均匀纸手抄纸的成功形成，并在升高的 CMS 浓度下保持其拉伸强度。具有高 CMS 含量的片材表现出密度增加和表面光滑度增强（这是在纤维基材顶部形成 CMS 层的结果），可有效桥接空隙并纠正表面不规则性，如 Gurley 测试、无限焦点显微镜和扫描电子显微镜所支持的那样。虽然我们的主要目标集中在制造含 CMS 纸张的总体可行性上，但由此产生的复合支架具有作为创新功能性纸基材料平台的巨大潜力。