Projects per year
Abstract
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/m 2/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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 8902-8912 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 23 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 10 Jun 2024 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
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Åbo Akademi Functional Printing Center
Toivakka, M. (PI), Rosenholm, J. (PI), Anttu, N. (PI), Bobacka, J. (PI), Huynh, T. P. (PI), Peltonen, J. (PI), Wang, X. (PI), Wilen, C.-E. (PI), Xu, C. (PI), Zhang, H. (PI) & Österbacka, R. (PI)
Faculty of Science and EngineeringFacility/equipment: Facility
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MADNESS: Centre of Excellence in Materials-driven solutions for combatting antimicrobial resistance
Rosenholm, J. (Principal Investigator), Porres Paltor, I. (Co-Principal Investigator), Bansal, K. (Coordinator), Lafond, S. (Co-Principal Investigator), Uppstu, P. (Co-Principal Investigator), Viitala, T. (Co-Principal Investigator), Wang, X. (Co-Principal Investigator), Wilen, C.-E. (Co-Principal Investigator), Xu, C. (Co-Principal Investigator), Zhang, H. (Co-Principal Investigator), Lu, Z. (Co-Investigator), Verma, J. (Co-Investigator), Kumar, V. (Co-Investigator), Frejborg, F. (Co-Investigator), Wang, S. (Co-Investigator), Ran, M. (Co-Investigator), Ma, X. (Co-Investigator), Yang, W. (Co-Investigator), Liang, S. (Co-Investigator), Zhang, Y. (Co-Investigator), Fan, L. (Co-Investigator), Chen, Y. (Co-Investigator), Wang, L. (Co-Investigator), Zhuang, P. (Co-Investigator), Rajan Prakash, D. (Co-Investigator), Howaili, F. (Co-Investigator), Gulshan, R. (Co-Investigator), Yadav, D. (Co-Investigator), Pathak, C. (Co-Investigator), Mustafa, R. (Co-Investigator), Rostami, L. (Co-Investigator), Jafari Dargahlou, M. (Co-Investigator), Nygård, A. (Co-Investigator) & Manasut, P. (Co-Investigator)
01/01/24 → 31/12/28
Project: Foundation
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SUSBINCO: Sustainable Binders and Coatings
Xu, C. (Principal Investigator), Toivakka, M. (Co-Principal Investigator) & Kvikant, M. (Co-Investigator)
01/09/21 → 31/07/24
Project: Industry/Business Finland