Barrier Coatings

TopScreen oil and grease resistant barrier coatings are a new alternative to polyethylene film and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in paper, paperboard and molded fiber packaging. These new barrier coatings are cost-effective, readily available and provide the performance that brand owners demand. Additionally, these oil and grease resistant coatings can be applied using existing application equipment with minimal modifications.

TopScreen barrier coatings for cupstock are the answer to market demand for plastic-free, recyclable, single-use beverage cups and ice cream cups. Traditional single-use paper cups could be a nearly 100 percent renewably sourced alternative to plastic cups except for one big problem: a thin layer of plastic, typically polyethylene (PE), is laminated on the inside of the cup. This plastic layer acts as a liquid barrier and provides the glue that holds the cup together during the heat-sealing phase of production. Unfortunately, this layer prevents cups from being recycled easily, and it becomes a source of plastic and microplastic contamination in soil and marine environments.

TopScreen biowax-based barrier coatings are the solution to consumer demand for paraffin-free, environmentally friendly, paper packaging. Derived from vegetable oils, these functional biowax barrier coatings are free from harmful mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH), making them an excellent choice for food-grade paper packaging applications. And, paper and board treated with TopScreen biowax barrier coatings are repulpabable, recyclable and compostable, making the coatings a better environmental choice than paraffin-based wax coatings.

TopScreen water repellent barrier coatings enable papermakers to produce plastic-free, paraffin-free, environmentally friendly, paper packaging. These water-based polymer products employ the same innovative chemistry used in our barrier coatings for cupstock, so papermakers can achieve superior water repellency as well. The formulas can also be engineered to deliver varying degrees of oil and grease resistance and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). And, like our other TopScreen products, these water repellent coatings for paper are repulpabable, recyclable and more compostable compared to other commercially available coatings. Our current formulations contain up to 35 percent renewable content, and our long-term goal is to produce these water repellent paper coatings with more than 50 percent renewable content.