Novel 

Bio‐Based Coating for Barrier Papers 

Michael Bilodeau1, Daryl Basham1, Nirmal Basi1, and Jonathan Spender2 
1
 HS Manufacturing Group, LLC, New York, New York, USA 
2
 Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA 

Summary 

This paper will describe the development of a novel biodegradable, bio‐based coating additive that 
shows promise in barrier paper applications such as water resistant packaging, oil and grease resistant 
paper and paperboard, and specialty papers. The coating technology is particularly well suited to 
displace plastic and plastic extruded papers, improving end‐of‐life options for these products, such as 
reuse, recycling and composting. The coating additive is approved for use in food contact applications 
and is compatible with materials that impart good oil and grease penetration resistance to paper 
without having to relying on fluorinated compounds or extruded thermoplastics. Compost testing of 
paper coated with this technology shows complete degradation under ambient composting conditions.  

A series of base papers with a range of surface properties, modified by the application of cellulose 
nanofibers, were coated with novel biodegradable, fluorine‐free coating formulations.  A discussion of 
the resulting barrier properties and the potential impact on the future design of barrier papers follow.  

Introduction 

Plastic and plastic extruded paper packaging has been capturing market share from paper packaging 
products for years.  Concerns about recyclability, compostability, and other end‐of‐life issues have 
begun to shift the focus back to cellulose‐based solutions. 

Papers coated with fluorocarbon polymers have long been used in oil and grease resistant applications, 
but growing concerns about the health impact of these materials, particularly in food packaging, has 
accelerated the search for alternative chemistries. 

Unfortunately, drop‐in solutions to these opportunities have been commercially elusive, especially when 
applying new barrier coatings to existing, traditional coating base papers.  These base papers tend to be 
relatively open and require a moderate volume of coating to provide a barrier to liquids and gases, 
increasing the cost to achieve performance targets. 

This paper explores designing cost‐effective barrier papers by engineering the coating base paper to 
enhance the performance of novel bio‐based coating formulations.      

 
 

Materials and Methods 

The coating base papers used in this study were all produced on the pilot paper machine at the Process 
Development Center at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine.  The basis weight was a nominal 80 
gsm and the furnish was made from a blend of 50% bleached hardwood kraft pulp and 50% bleached 
softwood kraft pulp.  Both pulps were refined separately and then blended. 

The cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) added to two of the base papers coated in this study was also produced 
at the Process Development Center at the University of Maine.  The CNF was made from bleached 
softwood kraft pulp and processed until a fines content of 90% was achieved.  The CNF was added at a 
concentration of 5 wt% to either the furnish (Base 2), or to the top surface using a secondary headbox 
(Base 3), also at a concentration of 5 wt%. 

The barrier coatings were applied to only one surface of each base paper using a bench drawn‐down 
coating method.  The coatings were prepared by blending a fully hydrolyzed, medium molecular weight 
polyvinyl alcohol supplied by Kuraray (Elvanol 71‐30) that was thoroughly cooked and emulsified with a 
sucrose ester provided by HS Manufacturing Group, LLC (Silva B).  Coating solids were 12 wt%. 

Paper properties were determined using standard TAPPI Test Methods. 

   
 Surface Topography of 60gsm Coating Base Papers 
Scanning Electron Microscope Photomicrographs (500 X magnification) 

Base 1 – Control (No CNF added) 

 
 

Base 2 – 5 wt% CNF added to Furnish 

 
 
 Base 3 – 5 wt% CNF applied to Surface 

 
 

Size Test
300
Hercules Size Test, in seconds

250
Coated one side
Nominal 3.5 gsm CTWT
200
Uncoated
150
100% PVOH
100 90% PVOH, 10% SE

50 75% PVOH, 25% SE

0
Control Internal CNF Surface CNF
Base Paper
 
 
 Oil and Grease Penetration  Test
14
12
Coated one side
10
Kit Test Number

Nominal 3.5 gsm CTWT

8 Uncoated
6 100% PVOH

4 90% PVOH, 10% SE
75% PVOH, 25% SE
2
0
Control Internal CNF Surface CNF
Base Paper
 
 

Air Permeability
3000
Gurley Density, second/100 cc

2500
Coated one side
Nominal 3.5 gsm CTWT
2000
Uncoated
1500
100% PVOH
1000 90% PVOH, 10% SE

500 75% PVOH, 25% SE

0
Control Internal CNF Surface CNF
Base Paper
 
Paper Properties

Uncoated Base Paper

3M Kit ‐ Flat 3M Kit ‐ Fold HST Gurley Density Coat Weight (C1S)

Seconds Seconds gsm
Base 1 ‐ Control 0 0 3 375 0
Base 2 ‐ 5% CNF, internal 1 0 5 838 0
Base 3 ‐ 5% CNF, Surface 6 0 90 1930 0

Coating 1   100% PvOH

3M Kit ‐ Flat 3M Kit ‐ Fold HST Gurley Density Coat Weight (C1S)

Seconds Seconds gsm
Base 1 ‐ Control 6 2 52 720 4.5
Base 2 ‐ 5% CNF, internal 12 5 160 980 3.0
Base 3 ‐ 5% CNF, Surface 12 4 168 2430 3.8

Coating 2   90% PvOH 10% SE

3M Kit ‐ Flat 3M Kit ‐ Fold HST Gurley Density Coat Weight (C1S)

Seconds Seconds gsm
Base 1 ‐ Control 7 3 73 860 3.5
Base 2 ‐ 5% CNF, internal 12 4 204 760 2.7
Base 3 ‐ 5% CNF, Surface 11 5 197 2522 3.5

Coating 3   75% PvOH 25% SE

3M Kit ‐ Flat 3M Kit ‐ Fold HST Gurley Density Coat Weight (C1S)

Seconds Seconds gsm
Base 1 ‐ Control 9 3 133 820 4.8
Base 2 ‐ 5% CNF, internal 12 4 261 875 3.3
Base 3 ‐ 5% CNF, Surface 10 3 231 2098 3.6  
 
 Novel Biobased Coatings
for Barrier Papers
Presented by:
Michael Bilodeau
President
HS Manufacturing Group, LLC
Outline

• Motivation
- Biodegradable disposable food service articles
• Concepts for biodegradable barrier papers
- Leveraging base paper surface properties
- Impact of coating formulations
• Conclusions

2
Motivation

• Growing legislation to reduce plastics in the waste stream

- Local
- Regional
- National
• Brands responding
- Sustainability goals
- Reducing single-use plastic packaging
Photo credit : Shutterstock

3
Example #1 – Leveraging Base Paper Surface Properties

Methods and Materials

• Three 80 gsm base papers

- 50% BHWK, 50% BSWK
- Produced on pilot paper machine
• Base 1 – Control
• Base 2 – 5 wt% CNF added to furnish
• Base 3 – 5 wt% CNF added to surface

4
Base Papers – Surface SEM 500X

Base 1 – Control Base 3 – 5 wt% CNF

(No CNF added) applied to Surface

Base 2 – 5 wt% CNF added to Furnish

5
Example #1 – Leveraging Base Paper Surface Properties

Methods and Materials

• Base papers lab coated with lab drawdown method

- Coated 1 side
- 3.6 gsm coat weight
- Dried on steam heated drum with restraint

• Three coating formulations

- 100% PVOH-1 (medium molecular weight, fully hydrolyzed)
- 90% PVOH-1, 10% SE-1 (low substitution level, saturated)
- 75% PVOH-1, 25% SE-1

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Example #1 – Leveraging Base Paper Surface Properties

Polyvinyl Alcohol

Photo Credit: http://www.mercatel.nl/publications/metaalkunststof_00_aug.html

7
Example #1 – Leveraging Base Paper Surface Properties

Sucrose Ester

Photo Credit: RSC Publishing - Royal Society of Chemistry

8
Barrier Papers – Air Permeability

Air Permeability
3000
Gurley Density, second/100 cc

Coated one side

2500 Nominal 3.6 gsm CTWT

2000
Uncoated
1500
100% PVOH
1000 90% PVOH, 10% SE

500 75% PVOH, 25% SE

0
Control Internal CNF Surface CNF
Base Paper

9
Barrier Papers – Oil & Grease Resistance

Oil and Grease Penetration Test

14
12 Coated one side
Nominal 3.6 gsm CTWT
10
Kit Test Number

8 Uncoated
6 100% PVOH

4 90% PVOH, 10% SE

75% PVOH, 25% SE
2
0
Control Internal CNF Surface CNF
Base Paper

10
Barrier Papers – Water Repellency

Size Test
300
Hercules Size Test, in seconds

Coated one side

250 Nominal 3.6 gsm CTWT

200
Uncoated
150
100% PVOH
100 90% PVOH, 10% SE
50 75% PVOH, 25% SE

0
Control Internal CNF Surface CNF
Base Paper

11
Example #2 – Impact of Coating Formulations

Methods and Materials

• Base Paper
- 60 gsm
- Bleached kraft paper
- Commercially produced
• Surface Treatment
- Puddle size press application – pilot scale
- Coated 2 sides
- 1.9 gsm coat weight – total both sides
- Steam heated drier cans

12
Example #2 – Impact of Coating Formulations

• Four size press coating formulations were evaluated

- 100% PVOH-2 (high molecular weight, medium % hydrolyzed)
- 80% PVOH-2, 20% SE-1 (low substitution level, saturated)
- 80% PVOH-2, 20% SE-2 (high substitution level, unsaturated)
- 80% PVOH-2, 20% SE-3 (medium substitution level, saturated)

13
Barrier Papers

Effect of Formulation on Barrier Properties

900
60 gsm Bleached Base
800 HST, sec Pilot Puddle Size Press
700 Gurley Density, sec 1.9 gsm average P/U
Property Value

600
500 3M Kit Test x 100
400
300
200
100
0
Uncoated PVOH Only PVOH + PVOH + PVOH +
20% SE-1 20% SE-2 20% SE-3

14
Conclusions

• The use of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) in the base paper

significantly improves the performance of barrier coatings.
- Surface application of CNF dramatically reduces air permeability

• The addition of a hydrophobic material, like sucrose esters, to

water-sensitive film formers can improve barrier coating
performance including:
- Oil and grease resistance
- Water resistance
- Air permeability

15
Acknowledgments

• Co-Authors

- Dr. Nirmal Basi

- Dr. Daryl Basham
- Mr. Jonathan Spender

HS Manufacturing Group, LLC

16
Thank you for your attention

Presented by:
Michael Bilodeau
President
HS Manufacturing Group, LLC
Visit us at Booth # 237

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