Microfibrillated cellulose containing pulp sheets with improved mechanical properties

A method of manufacturing a partially-dried market pulp sheet or a dried market pulp sheet comprising microfibrillated cellulose for use as a binder, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. preparing a pulp slurry in a range of about 0.5 wt. % to about 30 wt. % total solids;
• b. preparing a slurry comprising microfibrillated cellulose;
• wherein the microfibrillated cellulose has a fibre steepness of from about 20 to about 50;
• c. mixing the pulp slurry and the slurry comprising microfibrillated cellulose, wherein the content of microfibrillated cellulose in the pulp slurry is about 0.5 wt. % to about 99.5 wt. % of the total dry mass of the pulp slurry and slurry comprising microfibrillated cellulose;
• d. forming a market pulp sheet comprising microfibrillated cellulose and pulp from the pulp slurry and slurry comprising microfibrillated cellulose;
• e. dewatering and drying the market pulp sheet to a desired moisture content;
• wherein the moisture content of the dewatered and dried market pulp sheet in step e is in the range of about 20% by weight to about 85% by weight moisture;
• or wherein the moisture content of the dewatered and dried market pulp sheet in step e is about 20% by weight or less;
• and
• f. repulping dewatered and dried market pulp sheet of step e by redispersing the dewatered and dried market pulp sheet in an aqueous medium with a disperser, mixer, or refiner operated at energy inputs of about 10 kWh/t to about 2,000 kWh/t, wherein the tensile strength (FLT Index) repulped market pulp compared to market pulp formed from a comparable amount of microfibrillated cellulose prior to dewatering and drying in step e is not reduced by more than 15%.