ARTICLE IN PRESS
JID: JOBAB
[m3GeSsc;February 6, 2026;11:5]
Z. Wei, J. Liu, Y. Wang et al.
Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts xxx (xxxx) xxx
Fig. 7. Recyclability and biodegradability of P-PLS. (a) Illustration of the pulp recovery process for P-PLS. (b) The SEM images of ( Ⅰ ) recycled paper prepared from uncoated paper (R-uncoated),and ( Ⅱ ) recycled paper prepared from P-PLS 2 (R-P-PLS 2 ). (c) Tensile strength of recycled paper. (d) Photographs showing soil degradation of polyethylene (PE) film, uncoated paper, and P-PLS 2 . R-uncoated, recycled paper prepared from uncoated paper; R-P-PLS 2 , recycled paper prepared from P-PLS 2 ; PE, polyethylene.
4. Conclusions
To overcome the inherent limitations of paper in water- and oil-proof, this work developed a PLS emulsion coating based on PVA, SA, and LNPs, successfully producing environmentally friendly paper that combines high performance with biodegradability, thereby offering a solution to environmental pollution caused by non-degradable plastics. The PLS emulsion coating enabled the synergistic integration of hydrophilic PVA and hydrophobic SA. The LNPs acted as emulsifiers that effectively reduced interfacial tension, thereby stabilizing the oil-water interface. The PVA in the continuous phase imparted film-forming ability and oil-proof properties to the coating. The SA, as the hydrophobic oil phase, was uniformly dispersed as micrometer-sized droplets, providing the coating with essential hydrophobicity. The PLS emulsion demonstrated exceptional storage stability, exhibiting no phase separation or significant changes in particle size over 30 d. The PLS emulsion coating imparted effective water- and oil-proof properties to the paper, with a WCA of 111.2°, a Cobb 60 value of 17.73 g/m 2 , and a Kit rating exceeding 9/12. Moreover, the PLS emulsion-coated paper showed higher tensile strength and increased WVTR compared to uncoated paper. Importantly, while significantly enhancing the paper’s performance, the PLS emulsion coating retained its environmentally friendly characteristics, which can be easily removed to facilitate fiber recycling, and the coated paper degraded in soil within 120 d. Therefore, the PLS emulsion coating provides a practical strategy for advancing the substitution of plastic with paper. Despite the encouraging progress, this work has certain limitations. Specifically, the relatively complex preparation process of LNPs may hinder the scalable production of PLS emulsion coatings. Moreover, the gas barrier properties of the resulting PLS emulsion-coated paper require further improvement. Future research should focus on developing more efficient LNP production methods, lower-energy emulsification techniques, and the incorporation of additional functionalities, such as antimicrobial or smart-response capabilities.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Zhenke Wei: conceptualization, investigation, writing-original draft, writing-review and editing, visualization, methodology. Ji- ayu Liu: visualization. Yonggui Wang: conceptualization, writing-original draft, writing-review and editing, supervision, Resources, Methodology. Zefang Xiao: writing-review and editing. Yanjun Xie: writing-review and editing, supervision, resources.
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