Polymeric film or coating comprising hemicellulose

Abstract

A film forming composition and a polymeric film or coating comprising hemicellulose is disclosed, said polymeric film or coating further comprising at least one additive/reactant increasing the liquid/moisture resistance. The use of said film or coating is also disclosed. Further, a method for the manufacture of said polymeric film or coating is disclosed, as well as a method for improving the liquid/moisture resistance of hemicellulose. The hemicellulose/phyllosilicate nanocomposite reinforced material provides excellent liquid/moisture resistance.

1 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating comprising:
 hemicellulose extracted from biomass;   at least one component to improve film formability, the component comprising at least one plasticizer in an amount between 20% and 50%, by weight, of the combined weight of the hemicellulose and plasticizer; and   between 0.1% and 15% by weight of at least one agent to increase the liquid/moisture resistance of the film or coating, the agent comprising a layered phyllosilicate.   
     
     
         2 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one agent includes a hydrophobizing agent. 
     
     
         3 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said film or coating has:
 a hemicellulose content in % by dry weight 60-90%,   a cross-linking agent and   the hydrophobizing agent is, in % by dry weight, of 0-5%.   
     
     
         4 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of citric acid, boric acid, polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin, ethylene acrylic acid copolymer, formaldehyde, glyoxal, epichlorohydrin, phosphoric acid and acrolein. 
     
     
         5 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an acid anhydride, a rosin, an alkenyl succinic anhydride, and an alkyl keten dimer. 
     
     
         6 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said phyllosilicate comprises, nanoparticulate platelets. 
     
     
         7 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plasticizer comprises a polyol;   the at least one agent to increase the liquid/moisture resistance includes a crosslinking agent in an amount between 0.5 and 5% by weight of the hemicellulose and   the phyllosilicate comprises montmorillonite.   
     
     
         8 . A coated cellulose product comprising:
 at least one of a paper and a board made from cellulose; and   a film or coating according to  claim 1  deposited onto a surface of the paper or board.   
     
     
         9 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the agent is in an amount, between 2 and 8 weight percent. 
     
     
         10 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising between 3% and 9% by weight of at least one compound intercalated or exfoliated in the 2:1 layered phyllosilicate, the compound selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), poly(vinylacetate-vinylalcohol) P(VAc-VOH), polyacrylic acid (PAA), polymethacrylic acid (PMAA), polyvinylpyrolidone (PVp), polyacrylic amide (PAAm) and polymethacrylic amide (PMAAm). 
     
     
         11 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising between 3% and 9% by weight of at least one of a starch, a β-glucan, a cellulose derivative and a chitosan. 
     
     
         12 . The coated cellulose product of  claim 8 , further comprising a pre-coating between the paper or board and the film or coating. 
     
     
         13 . A liquid/moisture resistant polymeric film or coating as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said compound has a weight average molecular weight between 10 and 300 kDa. 
     
     
         14 . The coated cellulose product of  claim 8 , wherein a dry coat weight of the film or coating is between 5 and 9 g/m̂2. 
     
     
         15 . The coated cellulose product of  claim 12 , wherein the pre-coating comprises at least one of a latex and a thermoplastic resin. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method for the manufacture of a film or coating comprising hemicellulose and having improved liquid/moisture resistance, comprising:
 mixing said hemicellulose with at least one component to improve film formability to form a hemicellulose mixture, the component comprising at least one plasticizer in an amount between 20% and 50%, by weight, of the combined weight of the hemicellulose and component;   swelling a phyllosilicate in a polar solvent;   adding an intercalating/exfoliating compound to the phyllosilicate and polar solvent to form a phyllosilicate/compound mixture said compound having a strong affinity to platelets that form from the phyllosilicate, said compound further being able to bridge between the platelets and being soluble in the polar solvent;   mixing the hemicellulose mixture and the phyllosilicate/compound mixture to form a resulting mixture; and   forming the resulting mixture into a nanocomposite reinforced film or coating with the hemicellulose as a matrix.   
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 swelling the phyllosilicate in a polar solvent while stirring at a temperature between 80° C. and 100° C., and at a pressure that is above the boiling point of the solvent at that temperature;   adding the intercalating/exfoliating compound while stirring at a temperature between 80° C. and 100° C., and at a pressure that is above the boiling point of the solvent at that temperature, for a time between 15 minutes and 8 hours during or after the swelling of the 2:1 layered phyllosilicate; and   mixing the hemicellulose mixture and the phyllosilicate/compound mixture while stirring at a pressure that is above the boiling point of the solvent at a temperature between 80° C. and 100° C.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein forming includes:
 coating the resulting mixture onto at least one of a paper and a board; and   evaporating the polar solvent.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising heat treating the coated paper or board at a temperature between 120° C. and 160° C. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising pre-coating the paper or board to reduce a porosity of the paper or board. 
     
     
         22 - 24 . (canceled)