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Abstract
Environmental and health concerns are driving the need for new materials in food packaging to replace poly- or perfluorinated compounds, aluminum layers, and petroleum-based polymers. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) have been shown by a number of groups to form excellent barrier layers to oxygen and grease. However, the influence of lignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) on film barrier properties has not been well reported. Herein, thin films (16 g/m2) from LCNF and CNF were formed on paper substrates through a filtration technique that should mimic the addition of material at the wet end of a paper machine. Surface, barrier and mechanical attributes of these samples were characterized. The analysis on the surface free energy and water contact angle pointed to the positive role of lignin distribution in inducing a certain degree of water repellency. The observed oxygen transmission rate (OTR) and water vapor permeability (WVP) values of LCNF-coated samples were nearly similar to those with CNF. However, the presence of lignin improved the oil proof performance; these layered designs exhibited an excellent resistance to grease (kit No. 12). The attained papers with LCNF coat were formed into bowl-like containers using metal molds and a facile oven drying protocol to evaluate their resistance to oil penetration over a longer period. The results confirmed the capability of LCNF layer in holding commercially available cooking oils with no evidence of leakage for over five months. Also, an improvement in the tensile strength and elongation at break was observed in the studied papers. Overall, the proposed packaging material possesses viable architecture and can be considered as a fully wood-based alternative for the current fluorocarbon systems.
Highlights
Due to its biocompatibility and easy-to-recycle nature, paper has been widely used for wrapping and food packaging applications as an alternative to plastics [1]
lignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) can be produced from unbleached chemical pulps, thermo-mechanical pulps (TMP), or old corrugated containers (OCC) through inexpensive refining methods [22]
Understanding the morphology of the fibers is key for the fabrication of films with air-tight and distribution within the nanofibrils and its potential role to improve or damage the H-bond network grease proof qualities
Summary
Due to its biocompatibility and easy-to-recycle nature, paper has been widely used for wrapping and food packaging applications as an alternative to plastics [1]. One viable practice to induce grease resistance to the paper surface, is chemical modification in which the reacted/swollen cellulosic fibers can be partially dissolved in an aqueous system and upon drying, the dissolved part may fill and reduce the porosity within the fibrous matrix. This is somehow comparable to an adhesive binding the fibers together. LCNF can be produced from unbleached chemical pulps, thermo-mechanical pulps (TMP), or old corrugated containers (OCC) through inexpensive refining methods [22] These low-cost fiber sources should be of great benefit if they give similar properties to those of CNF. The presence of lignin between the fibrils is expected to improve the films density, surface roughness as well as the dewatering process due to its hydrophobic nature [32]
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