Roll-to-roll flame deposition of functional nanoparticle surface on paperboard materials

We have developed a new method to deposit functional coatings on large areas on packaging materials such as paper, paperboard and polymer laminates. The coatings are deposited in a pilot scale on roll-to-roll materials with line speeds from 30 m/min up to 150 m/min. Functional properties such as hydrophilicity have been introduced using flame, plasma or corona treatment on the materials. Here, we have solved the problem by depositing nanocoating on the material. Nanocoating will have a chemical effect, which is permanent and does not decrease in the course of time as it does with conventional treatments. For example hydrophilic nature of the coating on paper material is advantageous in printing applications as water-based inks wet the surface more evenly. In this study, we demonstrate that it is possible to portably control the water contact angle on paperboard materials from 10° up to 160° with Liquid Flame Spray (LFS) nanocoatings of several ceramic particles e.g. TiO2 and SiO2. The wetting properties are just an example of many other properties that can be controlled with LFS. Other properties include barrier effects for gases and liquids and adhesion of different laminate layers etc.