Sustainable coatings on paper for enhancing barrier properties based on hemicellulose

Abstract Coated paper with enhanced barrier properties was prepared via a simple layered self-assembly method using hemicellulose and starch as biobased coatings. Effect of the coating on properties of cellulose paper was investigated. Barrier properties of the paper was increasingly strengthened as the coating amount of hemicellulose rose. When the paper was coated with starch (10.7±0.3 g/m2 \text{g}/{\text{m}^{2}} ) and hemicellulose (6.9±0.2 g/m2 \text{g}/{\text{m}^{2}} ) successively, the oil resistance of the paper was increased from 0 to grade 7. Air permeability and water vapor transmittance was decreased by 93.8 % and 39.7 %, respectively. The water contact angle of the coated paper reached 91.7° when the amount of hemicellulose was 1.5±0.2 g/m2 \text{g}/{\text{m}^{2}} . The hydrophobicity of the coated paper was superior to the original paper although it was negatively influenced by the increasing amount of hemicellulose. The improvement of barrier properties of the coated paper was mainly ascribed to the formation of a thin polymer network on paper surface through intermolecular interaction via hydrogen bonds as demonstrated in SEM and FTIR-ATR results. Moreover, tensile strength and rupture resistance of the coated paper was improved. The results offered an environmentally friendly and economical strategy for preparation of food packaging paper with good barrier properties using biobased coating materials.