Food-Safe Chitosan-Zein Dual-Layer Coating for Water- and Oil-Repellant Paper Substrates
By Dhwani Kansal, Syeda Shamila Hamdani, Ruoqi Ping, Nopphachai Sirinakbumrung, and Muhammad Rabnawaz
ACS Sust. Chem. & Eng.
April 22, 2020
DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c02216
Coated paper substrates are used for a wide range of applications. The biggest challenge that remains unsolved with regard to coated paper is its recyclability. Herein we report a unique approach that relies on 100% biobased and biodegradable food-safe materials for water- and oil-resistant paper. A 35-liner paper was coated with an oil-resistant chitosan solution, and subsequently by a hydrophobic zein solution. The resultant chitosan-zein-coated paper showed remarkable water resistance (Cobb60 value of 4.88 g/m2) and oil repellency (Kit rating 12/12). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was used to determine the changes in the surface texture of the paper before and coating treatment. The excellent mechanical properties of the coated paper were retained after the coating treatment. In addition, the pulp was recycled from the chitosan-zein-coated paper to validate the recyclability of this novel approach.
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