Waterborne Biodegradable Polyesters Based on Thiol-Ene Chemistry for Paper Coating Applications

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Developing sustainable alternatives for packaging is crucial.
• Current paper coatings often lack compostability or recyclability.
• Thiol-ene chemistry presents a novel approach for biodegradable polymers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate thiol-ene latexes for waterborne paper coating applications.
• To investigate the potential of ester-containing monomers for biodegradable packaging.
• To improve the compostability and recyclability of coated paper.

Main Methods:

• Emulsion and miniemulsion polymerization techniques were employed.
• Semibatch emulsion and swelling-assisted polymerization were utilized for scalability.
• Formulation optimization was performed using diallyl adipate and specific thiols.

Main Results:

• The diallyl adipate/2,2'-(ethylenedioxy)-diethanethiol/trimethylolpropane tris-(3-mercaptopropionate) system yielded high-performance films.
• Films exhibited transparency, non-tackiness, and excellent water/oil resistance.
• Biodegradability tests confirmed partial degradation of the synthesized polymers.

Conclusions:

• Ester-containing thiol-ene emulsions are viable for sustainable paper coatings.
• These materials offer a promising route to enhanced compostability and recyclability in packaging.
• The developed process is compatible with industrial-scale production.