Microfibrillated Cellulose (MFC) coatings for compostable food packaging, TAPPICon26

In this study, we developed a method using micro fibrillated cellulose (MFC)-based coating for molded pulp packaging as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. The MFC-coating overcame the limitation of cellulose’s inherent moisture sensitivity by a synergistic formulation, involving MFC/ carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) crosslinking with polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE), tortuous diffusion path developing by incorporation of nano clay (Cloisite-Na+), and free volume filling with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The MFC-coated tray successfully improved the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) by 40.5% in wet cup and 89.2% in dry cup test, and reduced Cobb values from 137 to 56.3 g·m-2. Additionally, the MFC coatings demonstrated a superior oxygen barrier and grease resistance with an oxygen permeability of 2.31 × 10−15 cm3 [STP]·cm·cm−2·s−1·Pa−1 and maintained a Kit value of 12. Mechanically, the coated tray demonstrated improved durability with a 23.3% increase in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and a 96.7% increase in strain at failure. Collectively, these improvements provide a bio-based solution for food packaging with enhanced moisture and oxygen barrier performance suitable for perishable fruit packaging.

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