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Hemp hurd fiber, a low-value waste stream from the hemp industry, has potential downstream applications as an alternative to non-renewable plastics for single-use food service ware and packaging applications. Packaging paper substrates made from chemically pulped hemp hurd, mixed in varying ratios with bleached thermomechanical radiata pine pulp were developed and tested. Handsheets were characterized using several mechanical property tests including tensile strength, tearing resistance, burst strength, short-span compression, ring crush, together with Gurley air resistance, contact angle, and Cobb60 tests. Generally, addition of hemp hurd fibers significantly improved handsheet mechanical properties. Hot-pressing of the handsheets so as to approximate molded fiber thermoforming further enhanced their performance, with pure hemp hurd handsheets having the highest mechanical properties and barrier performance. A prototype was successfully thermoformed from hemp fiber, demonstrating overall feasibility of this fibre source for molded fibre objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beeswax is a bio-sourced, renewable, and even edible material that stands as a convincing option to provide paper-based food packaging with moisture resistance. Nonetheless, the difficulty of dispersing it in water limits its applicability. This work uses oxidized, negatively charged cellulose nanofibers along with glycerol to stabilize beeswax-in-water emulsions above the melting point of the wax. The synergistic effects of nanocellulose and glycerol granted the stability of the dispersion even when it cooled down, but only if the concentration of nanofibers was high enough. This required concentration (0.6–0.9 wt%) depended on the degree of oxidation of the cellulose nanofibers. Rheological hindrance was essential to prevent the buoyancy of beeswax particles, while the presence of glycerol prevented excessive aggregation. The mixtures had yield stress and showed pseudoplastic behavior at a high enough shear rate, with their apparent viscosity being positively influenced by the surface charge density of the nanofibers. When applied to packaging paper, the nanocellulose-stabilized beeswax suspensions not only enhanced its barrier properties towards liquid water (reaching a contact angle of 96°) and water vapor (<100 g m−2 d−1), but also to grease (Kit rating: 5) and airflow (>1400 Gurley s). While falling short of polyethylene-coated paper, this overall improvement, attained using only one layer of a biobased coating suspension, should be understood as a step towards replacing synthetic waxes and plastic laminates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood-based paper fibers are inherently biodegradable. In contact with moist soil and in compost, papermaking fibers are readily broken down by soil microbes. Resistance to biodegradation is needed, as paper is used for special applications such as mulching in agriculture and forestry, the coating of construction materials, and for packing and wrapping under conditions where packaging materials may be exposed to contact with moist soil or other type microbial active contamination. A preceding study showed that paper chemical crosslinking with glyoxal, citric acid (CA), or methylated 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethylene urea (mDMDHEU) results in substantially improved paper wet strength and lower paper water absorbency. The present study examined the efficiency of chemical crosslinking treatments with CA and with mDMDHEU to decrease the biodegradation rate of laboratory paper sheets and a sack paper, both made of kraft fibers. The biodegradation was examined using a 48-h enzymatic degradation test and a 2-month soil burial test. The results indicate that chemical crosslinking is an effective non-biocidal method for making sulphate kraft paper more resistant to biodegradation. In some end-uses, improved resistance to biodegradation, along with improved paper wet performance, can enhance paper performance comparable to plastic films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper has gained popularity as a packaging material due to its reduced environmental impact compared with non-degradable alternatives. However, its flammability poses safety risks, prompting research on enhancing its flame retardancy. This work introduces a diffusion-driven self-assembly strategy (DDSAS) to create a functional graphene oxide (GO) coating on various packaging papers. DDSAS involves infiltrating the paper's cellulose microfiber network with branched polyethyleneimine (b-PEI), which binds firmly to cellulose microfibers. Electrostatic interactions between GO and b-PEI then drive GO assembly into a densely stacked, layered structure on the paper surface. This GO structure provides a physical barrier against flames and generates incombustible gases (CO2, H2O, NO2, and NO) when heated, diluting the surrounding oxygen concentration and acting as a heat insulation layer. These factors increase the flame retardancy of treated papers ten-fold. Additionally, the gradual reduction of GO upon heating forms reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the paper, significantly increasing its electrical conductivity. As a result, the flame-retardant papers not only prevent the fire from spreading but can also act as fire sensors by triggering an alarm signal at the early stages of contact with fire. In summary, this work offers a rational strategy for designing and manufacturing flame-retardant paper packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of sustainable materials as an alternative to plastic is fundamental for the protection of the environment and for the safeguard of marine ecosystems. The replacement of plastic with organic materials for fish storage might affect its shelf-life due to the high concentration of oxidizable fatty acids in fish flesh. This study investigated the effectiveness of two organic packaging materials, namely coconut fiber (Coc) and paper (Pap), as alternatives to the conventionally used polystyrene (Pol), on the shelf-life, hygienic parameters, and quality traits of anchovies refrigerated for one (T0), three (T1), or seven (T2) days. The hygienic quality of anchovies packaged in the organic Pap and Coc boxes was better than the traditional Pol, probably due to the higher porosity of the packaging, which allows a higher bacterial proliferation. Results of the T-BARS test showed a lower (p < 0.05) malondialdehyde concentration in fillets from the Pap group, which increased (p < 0.05) from the first to the seventh day of storage. The polyunsaturated fatty acids concentration did not differ between groups, but it decreased (p < 0.05) from T0 to T2. Coconut fiber and paper are worthy of further investigation since these packaging materials did not affect the shelf-life and fatty acid profile of anchovies during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop bio-based adhesives that can be used for various packaging papers. In addition to commercial paper samples, papers produced from harmful plant species in Europe, such as Japanese Knotweed and Canadian Goldenrod, were used. In this research, methods were developed to produce bio-based adhesive solutions in combinations of tannic acid, chitosan, and shellac. The results showed that the viscosity and adhesive strength of the adhesives were best in solutions with added tannic acid and shellac. The tensile strength with adhesives of tannic acid and chitosan was 30% better than with commercial adhesives and 23% for combinations of shellac and chitosan. For paper from Japanese Knotweed and Canadian Goldenrod, the most durable adhesive was pure shellac. Because the surface morphology of the invasive plant papers was more open and had numerous pores compared to the commercial papers, the adhesives penetrated the paper structure and filled the voids. There was less adhesive on the surface and the commercial papers achieved better adhesive properties. As expected, the bio-based adhesives also showed an increase in peel strength and exhibited favorable thermal stability. In summary, these physical properties support the use of bio-based adhesives use in different packaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper is widely used as a packaging material because it is biodegradable and completely safe for the environment. The use of antimicrobials as a coating on paper can improve its mechanical, optical, physical and antimicrobial properties. Antimicrobial packaging suppresses the development of pathogenic microorganisms in order to ensure the safety of the product, extend the shelf life and protect the quality of the product. Giving antibacterial properties to papers and cardboards expands their use in different areas and for different purposes. Antibacterial paper prevents the entry and development of harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, mould. Antimicrobials that occur naturally in nature have a number of advantages, as they are considered to pose less risk to the consumer. One of the modern directions in research is the inclusion of different types of active substances in the packaging material, which can give it additional functions, such as elimination of oxygen, moisture, ethylene, ethanol emission, antimicrobial activity and others. The present work aims to obtain plant extracts, their characterization and their surface application on paper. Extracts of Bulgarian herbs St. John's wort, cumin, rosemary, thyme and basil were obtained and characterized and studied. Plant extracts are applied by spraying on the surface of various papers. The antimicrobial effect of treated papers on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria was studied. The results of the analysis of the obtained papers show the possibility of using plant extracts containing biologically active ingredients for the production of papers with barrier properties. The use of plant extracts is a promising and innovative solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: An improvement in adhesion (gluing) in the printing production process. In this study, the effect of air plasma on the surface properties of printed and coated cardboard was investigated. The material was activated by low-pressure cold plasma for 1, 10, 20, and 30 s. Wettability changes on the surface were examined by contact angle measurements using the sessile droplet technique. The differences in the surface free energy were calculated using the Lifshitz–van der Waals/acid–base and Contact Angle Hysteresis approaches. Optical profilometry was used for the surface roughness evaluation and an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was performed to find changes in surface chemistry. Adhesive strength tests were carried out to estimate the adhesion changes after the material's modification. It was found that the water and formamide contact angles increased after the plasma treatment while the diiodomethane contact angle did not change. As a result of the modification, the surface free energy also increased significantly and the surface roughness increased. The pull-off tests confirmed the improvement in the material's surface properties. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the optimal effect can be obtained after just 10 s of the plasma process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the packaging sector of the printing industry, different coating applications are tried and investigated in order to increase the surface appearance and performance characteristics of paper and cardboard. The printability, water and ink absorption capacity, frictional resistance, light sensitivity of the visual graphical design that are going to be printed on the packaging papers are some of them. In this study, different types of cardboards that are used as a packaging material were chosen and coated with nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC)/PVA at different rates (%). In order to determine effective and economical usage conditions, the coating solutions, at three different concentrations as 3 wt.%, 5 wt. %, 7 wt.%, were prepared. The coating was applied on the test papers, which were at the same weights (350 g/m2) and had different surface properties as matte glossy, bright glossy, American Bristol. NCC/PVA existence on the coated paper surface was confirmed with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The impact of the coating, which was prepared at different concentrations, on the packaging materials was studied with respect to thickness, stiffness, water absorbability, contact angle and surface tension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The aim of research -- to determine the effect of clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.) essential oil on paper packaging materials. Materials and methods. Three packaging materials have been studied based on paper coated with clary sage essential oil. The chemical composition of the clary sage essential oil is determined chromatographically. Antimicrobial effect of essential oil was determined against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and fungi using the agar diffusion method. Results and discussion. The chemical composition of the clary sage essential oil showed a predominant amount of oxygenated monoterpenes (83.43%), followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons (7.86%), and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (5.16%). The major components of the clary sage essential oil were linalyl acetate, β-linalool, α- terpineol, limonene, and geranyl acetate that determined the antimicrobial action of the oil. The essential oil exhibited a fungicidal action against the tested molds and yeasts. Its high antimicrobial properties could be probably due to the high content of linalyl acetate (40.31%) and β-linalool (22.72%). Our results showed high fungicidal efficacy for the three types of packaging materials. The suppressive action against C. albicans during the investigated shelf life period was about 100%. It was found a high efficiency of the recycled paper against A. brasiliensis (99.2% - 81.9%). It was determined that the bactericidal effect of the tested packaging materials was lower than the Gram-negative bacterium S. abony. Conclusions. Clary sage essential oil could be used as an antimicrobial agent in the food industry due to its antimicrobial properties, in order to improve the quality of the products and extend their shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sustainable development requires the use of bio-based packaging materials because of ready availability and limited environment impact. The porous structure and hydrophilic nature of cellulose in paper based materials needs to be combined or laminated with other materials to overcome these limitations. The fiber found in the banana stems and leaves, it is possible to use these raw materials in pulp processing and banana flour can be produced into an edible film. The aim of the study was to discover a suitable method (wet lamination or dry lamination) for producing paper (stems, leaves, or a 1:1 ratio of mixed stems and leaves) lamination with banana film and to study their physical properties for packaging application. Banana flour (4%) solution was used as adhesive media between paper and film for wet lamination process where as the heating and compression were applied for dry lamination process. The results showed the efficiency of banana stems for paper production. However, there was an improvement in results when a 1:1 ratio of mixed stems and leaves was used due to an increase in tensile strength, elongation, and the L value. There was no significance in the water vapor permeability in all treatments. All treatments of paper lamination expressed 6 - 13% moisture content. The separation of film and paper layers occurred in dry lamination samples. The wet lamination of the leaf paper and mixed paper caused high tensile strength and elongation. Therefore, it could be used as an alternative and environmentally friendly method in the application of packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newly developed packaging paper made of biopulped pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) and poly(lactic acid)(PLA) was studied. PALF packaging sheets were solvent impregnated with PLA at different concentrations in order to improve their moisture barrier and mechanical performance. With the impregnation of PLA at a concentration of 4%, the packaging material exhibited a low moisture uptake and a high tear index. An electron micrograph of the sample at 4% impregnation revealed uniform and packed PLA reversed microsphere morphology. These results suggest that surface coating via biodegradable polymers, such as PLA, may be utilized for manufacturing packaging materials in industrial applications. This new packaging material could reduce the dependency on wood-based paper and plastic-based packaging.

Newly developed packaging paper made of biopulped pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) and poly(lactic acid)(PLA) was studied. PALF packaging sheets were solvent impregnated with PLA at different concentrations in order to improve their moisture barrier and mechanical performance. With the impregnation of PLA at a concentration of 4%, the packaging material exhibited a low moisture uptake and a high tear index. An electron micrograph of the sample at 4% impregnation revealed uniform and packed PLA reversed microsphere morphology. These results suggest that surface coating via biodegradable polymers, such as PLA, may be utilized for manufacturing packaging materials in industrial applications. This new packaging material could reduce the dependency on woodbased paper and plastic-based packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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[Display omitted] • Novel dimer acid-based waterborne polyurethanes (DWPUs) were designed and prepared. • DWPUs were first used as multifunctional coatings for paper substrates. • Papers coated by DWPUs exhibited excellent water- and oil-resistances. • Alkyl and uniform membrane of DWPUs are critical to improve papers' properties. Paper derived from lignocellulose has great advantages over plastics as packaging material, nevertheless, the poor water- and oil-resistances of paper-derived products limited their application in high-end field. Herein, novel dimer acid-based waterborne polyurethanes (DWPUs) with different content of dimer acid-based polyester polyol (DG) were prepared and used as water- and oil-resistant coating for paper substrate. The effects of DG contents on water- and oil-resistances, mechanical properties and thermal stability of DWPUs coated papers were systematically investigated. When the content of DG reached up to 7 wt% (based on polyester glycol), the paper coated by DWPU exhibited 88.06% decrease in Cobb 60 value, 8.7 times increase in kit rating compared with uncoated paper. Meanwhile, DWPUs coated papers showed good mechanical properties and thermal stability. These improvements are attributed to the flexible long-alkyl chain, and six-ring structure of DWPUs as well as the continuous and homogeneous DWPU-derived membrane on the surface of paper. This study provides a new framework for the preparation of high quality, multifunctional, environmentally friendly water- and oil-resistant coatings for paper substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of paper as a sustainable packaging material is favored, but it lacks sufficient barrier properties in terms of water repellence and oil resistance. Novel approaches consider active packaging materials or coatings with controlled release providing additional functionality for delivery of specific components to the surface. In this study, the development of a waterborne coating with organic nanoparticles and encapsulated sunflower oils is presented as a system for thermal release of the oil and on-demand tuning of the final barrier properties of the paper substrate. After synthesis of the nanoparticles, it seems that the encapsulation of various grades of sunflower oil (i.e., either poly-unsaturated or mono-unsaturated) strongly affects the encapsulation efficiency and thermal release profiles. The water contact angles are controlled by the oil release and chemical surface composition of the coating upon thermal heating. The oil resistance of the paper improves as a more continuous oil film is formed during thermal release. In particular, the chemical surface composition of the paper coatings is detailed by means of micro-Raman spectroscopy and surface imaging, which provide an analytical quantification tool to evaluate surface coverage, oil delivery, and variations in organic coating moieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The cellulose paper-based functional materials modified by Zn-NDI and Cu-NDI were prepared by the coating method. The chemical structures were characterized by FTIR, XRD, UV-vis and SEM, and the photochromic properties of the composite functional materials wer e studied. The results showed that Zn-NDI and Cu-NDI were successfully prepared and retained on the surface of copy paper, the wavelength of photochromic reaction is between 300-400 nm of MOFs materials. Optical analysis confirmed that the NDI/paper, Zn-NDI/paper and Cu-NDI/paper changed from tan to wheat, light green to olive, and dark tan to brown after 60 seconds of exposure to hernia light irradiations, the MOFs coated paper returned to its original color when it was placed in the dark for 4 hours. The above results indicated that the prepared Zn-NDI and Cu-NDI coated paper composites exhibited excellent photochromic ability and had potential applications in the field of anti-counterfeiting packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]