Chitosan-Coated Packaging Papers—Strength and Thermal Stability
Urška Vrabič Brodnjak, Nikolay Yavorov, Veska Lasheva, Dimitrina Todorova
Abstract
The aging of paper depends on various factors, including environmental conditions, microbiological factors and chemical composition. Chitosan-coated paper is an eco-friendly material that has potential use in various packaging applications due to its mechanical, barrier and antibacterial properties. In this study, the aging stability of chitosan-coated wood-free wrapping paper was evaluated by examining pulp and four paper samples with different quantities of chitosan. Accelerated thermal aging and dynamic thermogravimetric analysis were used to assess the aging stability, while color changes were examined to understand the impact of chitosan coating. The study found that increasing chitosan coating led to improved aging stability due to the improved crosslinking process between chitosan and paper. The coated paper samples displayed a yellowish hue after 72 h of aging, with increased strength and resistance to weight loss. TGA results indicated that the temperature of complete burning of the sample increased with increasing chitosan coating. Additionally, coated paper samples exhibited a more even surface and improved barrier properties. Overall, chitosan-coated paper is a promising material for sustainable and eco-friendly packaging, printing and wrapping applications. This study’s findings have important implications for the development of environmentally-friendly packaging materials that possess desirable mechanical and barrier properties.