Effect of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and lipid on mechanical properties and water vapor permeability of coated paper

Biopolymers have the potential to serve as coating materials for paper to improve its performance properties. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), glycerol (Gly) and beeswax (BW) coatings on the physical properties and water vapor permeability (WVP) of coated papers. It was found that HPMC coated paper showed significant differences on physical properties, compared with uncoated (p ⩽ 0.05). Folding endurance of HPMC-based coated papers greatly increased which indicated improved durability of coated paper. Moreover, HPMC-based coated papers increased in stretch and decreased in tensile index. HPMC-based coatings reduced WVP and further reduction was obtained when beeswax was incorporated in the HPMC-lipid composite coated paper. Paper coated with hydrocolloid and lipid can be used to produce packages with the potential to be used to maintain agricultural produce quality for the food industry, and may have other applications (i.e., medical packaging).