Investigating the Effect of Using Biodegradable Surface Coatings on Water Absorption and Mechanical Properties of White Paper Used in Cold Environments

This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of using biodegradable nanostructure coatings on water absorption and other physical and mechanical properties of white paper used in cold environments. For this purpose, 127 g/m2 white paper was prepared and tested. First, the liners were mounted on a plywood. After applying the coating and preparing several samples, papers with the same coating weight were selected for testing. Due to the impossibility of exact coverage amount, liners with a coverage of about 15 g/m2 were used for the next tests. After the application, the coated papers were dried at room temperature. Then the samples were placed in the refrigerator for 2 and 4 months. Before the test, the control and coated samples were placed in standard environmental conditions (temperature 20 οC and relative humidity 65%). The results showed that the water absorption of the samples decreased after coating. The reason for this is that the coating solution used has penetrated the pores of the paper and caused the diameter of the pores to decrease, as a result, the speed of water passing through the pores of the paper has decreased. In coated and frozen samples, an increase in thickness and a decrease in surface smoothness and resistance properties have been observed compared to unfrozen control samples.