How Coating Structure Relates to Performance in Coated SBS Board: A Fundamental Approach, 1999 Coating Conference Proceedings

Z. Richard Zhang, Roger W. Wygant, Anthony V. Lyons & Frank A. Adamsky

ECC International

The coated SBS market is ‘mature’, with limited growth potential in the traditional market. Profit improvement will require higher efficiency or new markets, but increasing efficiency requires scarce capital. New markets require improvements in optical and printing properties. The research presented here investigates how the coating structure can be modified to enhance these properties through proper choices of blends of kaolin and calcium carbonate pigments. Ultrafine and engineered kaolins have been used in blends with natural and engineered ground calcium carbonates as well as with precipitated calcium carbonates. Blend ratios included both kaolin dominated and carbonate dominated formulations. Structural parameters measured included coating pore size and volume, macroscopic and microscopic topography and coating surface voidage via goniophotometric effective index of refraction measurement. Strong relationships have been identified between optical and printing properties and these structural parameters.