TY - JOUR
T1 - Suberin-Based Aqueous Dispersions for Barrier Packaging Applications
AU - Hu, Liqiu
AU - Koppolu, Rajesh
AU - Hämäläinen, Roosa
AU - Kanerva, Heimo
AU - Nick, Tapani
AU - Toivakka, Martti
AU - Korpinen, Risto
AU - Saranpää, Pekka
AU - Qasim, Umair
AU - Liimatainen, Henrikki
AU - Xu, Chunlin
AU - Anghelescu-Hakala, Adina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Chemical Society.
PY - 2024/5
Y1 - 2024/5
N2 - Barrier coatings derived from synthetic polymers have been widely used as protective layers in packaging applications. In this work, water dispersions of suberin, a natural polyester of birch bark with inherent hydrophobicity properties, were revealed as a sustainable and green alternative barrier layer in fiber-based packaging. Suberin fractions were isolated from birch outer bark using a lab-scale and pilot-scale alkaline ethanol-water fractionation process, and their properties were analyzed in detail. Thermomechanical dispersing (55-75 °C) was then used to produce stable aqueous dispersions of suberin, which were further used in the coating of paper and paperboard substrates using a pilot-scale coating line. The impact of pH, temperature, addition level of stabilizer, and Ultra Turrax post-treatment on the dispersion stability, particle size, and rheology were assessed. Results showed that the suberin aqueous dispersion exhibited homogeneous particle size distribution in the range of 1-100 μm, and its shear-thinning behavior benefits the pilot-scale coating process. Most importantly, the resulting suberin-coated paperboard sample showed an excellent barrier against water vapor (18 g/m2/day), heptane vapor (below the detection limits), grease resistance (KIT number of 12), and oil penetration (24-168 h). The results indicate that the suberin aqueous dispersion is a promising coating material for fiber-based barrier packaging applications and its barrier performance is comparable to commercial barrier dispersions.
AB - Barrier coatings derived from synthetic polymers have been widely used as protective layers in packaging applications. In this work, water dispersions of suberin, a natural polyester of birch bark with inherent hydrophobicity properties, were revealed as a sustainable and green alternative barrier layer in fiber-based packaging. Suberin fractions were isolated from birch outer bark using a lab-scale and pilot-scale alkaline ethanol-water fractionation process, and their properties were analyzed in detail. Thermomechanical dispersing (55-75 °C) was then used to produce stable aqueous dispersions of suberin, which were further used in the coating of paper and paperboard substrates using a pilot-scale coating line. The impact of pH, temperature, addition level of stabilizer, and Ultra Turrax post-treatment on the dispersion stability, particle size, and rheology were assessed. Results showed that the suberin aqueous dispersion exhibited homogeneous particle size distribution in the range of 1-100 μm, and its shear-thinning behavior benefits the pilot-scale coating process. Most importantly, the resulting suberin-coated paperboard sample showed an excellent barrier against water vapor (18 g/m2/day), heptane vapor (below the detection limits), grease resistance (KIT number of 12), and oil penetration (24-168 h). The results indicate that the suberin aqueous dispersion is a promising coating material for fiber-based barrier packaging applications and its barrier performance is comparable to commercial barrier dispersions.
KW - aqueous dispersion coating
KW - biodegradable
KW - biopolyester
KW - fiber-based barrier packaging
KW - suberin
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85194265441&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c02244
DO - 10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c02244
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85194265441
SN - 2168-0485
VL - 12
SP - 8902
EP - 8912
JO - ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
JF - ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
IS - 23
ER -