What Is Water-Based Barrier Coating (WBBC)Paper?
The purpose of coating paper is to make it resistant to water and grease and improve the overall structural strength of paperboard to extend its useability. Water-based barrier coating (WBBC) is one of the only and most successful plastic-free barrier coating options available in the market today
WBBC is an aqueous dispersion coating used to create a solid hydrophobic barrier over the paper. The coating is made from natural sources and is free from plastic. This makes WBBC biodegradable and compostable.
WBBC has four elements: water, fillers, additives, and binders. The solid content of the coating dispersions varies between 25 to 70%.
The individual elements and their function in the composition of WBBC are mentioned below.
● Fillers
Fillers are present in WBBC in the form of a pigment either made from a singular or sometimes multiple sources. The sources include precipitated or ground calcium carbonate, kaolin, or talc.
The fillers present in the pigment form are to make the liquid WBBC runny and help in the easy application of the liquid on the paper. Fillers improve the barrier performance and improve the product economy.
●Additives
Additives are added in small amounts in the composition of WBBC to ensure that all the dispersion components bind together without any problems. Additives improve the functionality and effectiveness of WBBC
●Binders
The binders in WBBC are bio-based or synthetic water dispersed latex. To ensure that WBBC is genuinely sustainable and eco-friendly, the binders used for manufacturing WBBC are not considered plastic.
The binders, or more precisely the latex used to create the binders, are one of the essential components of WBBC as the chemical composition of the latex defines the effectiveness, qualities, and properties of WBBC
