No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is increasingly used with cellulosic substrates and especially with paper materials. Its use with cardboard remains not reported and the study of mechanical and barrier properties of MFC-coated cardboard has been investigated in this article. The influence of coating process as well as the effect of MFC have been highlighted by comparing different MFC-coated cardboard samples with PE-coated cardboard samples. MFC was coated using bar coating process. Their distribution and homogeneity onto cardboard was observed using techniques such as SEM and FE-SEM. Tests such as oxygen and air permeability, bending stiffness, and compressive strength have been carried out. The coating process used impacts significantly cardboard properties by two opposite ways: on one hand it damages the structure cohesion of cardboard decreasing its compressive strength; on the other hand it increases its bending stiffness by increasing considerably the samples thickness. The addition of MFC counterbalances the negative effects of the coating process: bending stiffness and compressive strength are indeed improved by 30% in machine direction. On the contrary, MFC does not enhance much cardboard barrier properties, although it considerably increases their water absorption. Within a framework of packaging application, MFC will rather have consequent effects on cardboard's properties as blend or as part of the multilayer structure. Other applications have to be considered for its use as top layer. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40106.

The recent study focusing on paper coated with microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) revealed the ability of such a structure to achieve a controlled release of molecules introduced into its nanoporous network. The present study examines this concept using a chlorhexidine digluconate-based (CHX) antibacterial solution. Various analyses were performed, optical microscopy, FE-SEM and AFM to underline the structure of the nanoporous MFC network. Release studies were conducted in an aqueous medium following two different protocols and antibacterial tests were done to evaluate the efficiency of the final materials obtained. MFC coating provided a slower and more progressive release of CHX. Indeed, papers impregnated with CHX were active for 18 days, whereas papers coated with CHX/MFC retained their antibacterial activity for 45 days. In parallel, similar tests were carried out using a model coating slurry, and although the rate of release of CHX was also slowed down, the quantities released were insufficient to confer any antibacterial activity. In conclusion, this study suggests that the use of MFC as a coating could be very promising since it allows a controlled and progressive release of molecules preserving long-term antibacterial activity.