Abstract

Paper-based food packaging materials are widely used, renewable, and biodegradable. Because of its porous structure, paper has poor or no barrier performance against grease, water vapor, water, and volatile organic compounds. Moreover, recycled paperboard can be a source of organic residuals that are able to migrate into packed food. Two different types of paperboard produced from primary and secondary cellulosic fibers were coated using renewable materials, such as alginate and chitosan, and comprehensive barrier measurements showed multifunctional barrier properties of these two biomaterials. Both paper substrates were successfully coated using a draw-down coater, and the measured air permeability of the coated samples was 0 mL·min−1. Grease resistance was improved, while it was possible to reduce water vapor transmission, the migration of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOSH/MOAH), and the permeation of volatile compounds for both paper substrates when compared with uncoated substrates. Wettability and water absorptiveness of chitosan- and alginate-coated papers were found to be substrate-dependent properties, and could be significantly affected by bio-based coatings. In summary, industrially produced paperboard was upgraded by coating it with the naturally biodegradable biopolymers, alginate and chitosan, thus achieving extraordinary barrier performance for various applications within the packaging industry.

Details

Title
Alginate and Chitosan as a Functional Barrier for Paper-Based Packaging Materials
Author
Kopacic, Samir 1 ; Walzl, Andrea 2 ; Zankel, Armin 3 ; Leitner, Erich 2 ; Bauer, Wolfgang 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Institute of Paper, Pulp and Fibre Technology, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 23, 8010 Graz, Austria 
2  Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 9/2, 8010 Graz, Austria 
3  Institute for Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis, NAWI Graz, Graz University of Technology and Centre for Electron Microscopy, Steyrergasse 17, 8010 Graz, Austria 
First page
235
Publication year
2018
Publication date
2018
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20796412
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8070235
ProQuest document ID
2582793865
Copyright
© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.