A facile strategy to fabricate high-barrier, water- and oil-repellent paper with carboxymethyl cellulose/collagen fiber/modified polyvinyl alcohol

Due to the increasingly serious environmental and human health hazards brought by traditional food packaging materials, paper-based packaging materials have become increasingly popular among consumers in recent years. Currently, the fabrication of fluorine-free degradable water- and oil-repellent paper using low-cost bio-based polymers by a simple method is a hot subject in the field of food packaging. In this work, we used carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), collagen fiber (CF), and modified polyvinyl alcohol (MPVA) to create coatings that were impervious to water and oil. The homogeneous mixture of CMC and CF generated electrostatic adsorption to impart excellent oil repellency to the paper. PVA was chemically modified by sodium tetraborate decahydrate, and the MPVA coating imparted excellent water-repellent properties to the paper. Finally, the water- and oil-proof paper showed excellent water repellency (Cobb value: 1.12 g/m(2)), oil repellency (kit rating: 12/12), low air permeability (0.3 mu m/Pa.s), and stronger mechanical properties (4.19 kN/m). This non-fluorinated degradable water- and oil-repellent paper with high barrier properties prepared by a convenient method is expected to be in widespread use in the food packaging field.

Automated summary

Due to the environmental and health hazards caused by traditional food packaging materials, paper-based packaging materials have become increasingly popular. This study focused on the fabrication of fluorine-free degradable water- and oil-repellent paper using low-cost bio-based polymers. The coatings made of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), collagen fiber (CF), and modified polyvinyl alcohol (MPVA) provided excellent water and oil repellency to the paper. The resulting paper showed excellent water repellency, oil repellency, low air permeability, and strong mechanical properties, making it suitable for food packaging applications.