Sam.....I agree. Just a layman here, myself.
However, I find some of the conclusions of this particular paper to be revealing.....
Conclusion
In a paper recycling mill materials rejected from the screening, cleaning and floatation processes become the waste stream treated at the mill’s wastewater treatment plant. Operational efforts concentrate on minimizing rejected material to reduce the requirement for fresh water make up and decrease effluent flows. In addition, holding more fiber and filler in the accepted stream helps to conserve waste paper and decrease shrinkage. However, even with the high priority given to the activity of preserving incoming fibre, ample usable fibre escapes the process. The recovery of this lost fibre from recycled paper mill sludge may now be feasible with the KDS Micronex technology. The dry, odourless material can be successfully fractionated to enhance desired characteristics. Substitution of recovered fibre into TMP pulp, to a maximum of 9.7%, improves the tear strength. Tensile strength is negatively affected, with each percent substitution causing a 1% decline in the tensile index.
The important fibre characteristics, which affect the tensile strength of paper, are the bond area, which is affected by fibre flexibility and degree of fibrillation, the intrinsic fibre strength, which is affected by the original source of the fibre and degree of damage, and the strength of the fibre-fibre bond. Recovered fibre has some advantages over TMP fibre with respect to fibre flexibility and possibly in fibre strength. These advantages may be overshadowed by the degree of fibre damage, the lack of surface fibrils, or the interference of ash with fibre-to-fibre bonding. In order to elucidate the true value of this fibre the intrinsic strength of the fibre needs to be determined. Thorough removal of ash and/or mild refining may also prove to enhance the tensile strength of this fibre paper.
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