Spray application of biopolymers and tailored refining as tools in the production of formable paper material for novel applications

Novel types of fibre-based packaging materials are the promising direction in the product portfolio of modern biorefineries. Despite of the adavantageous features of fibre-based packaging material such as: biodegradability, recyclability and renewability, it is lacking the level of formability that plastic packaging materials do have. The formability of material determines how advanced shapes can be formed for the end product. In respect to the paper-based packaging, high formability would allow to produce containers, trays, shells etc. with an advanced design, using deep-drawing or corresponding type of forming process. The influence of high-consistency refining, and combination of high and low consistency refining as well as the spraying of different biopolymers on the formability, strength properties and drying shrinkage of the samples has been evaluated in this work. By combining of the above-mentioned treatments it was possible to improve formability strain of the samples from 6.5% to 13.5%