A Low Cost, Green Sustainable and Biodegradable Biomass-based Fluorine-free Water and Oil Repellent

With the global ban on plastics intensifying, the substitution of plastic with paper has garnered increasing attention. However, the inadequate water and oil repellency of pulp molding hinders its practical applications. Currently, the common method to enhance the oil and water repellency of pulp molding is by adding fluorinated water and oil repellents. Nevertheless, fluorinated compounds are environmentally and physiologically harmful. Therefore, the development of fluorine-free, water and oil repellent alternatives is crucial. In this study, chitosan and stearic acid were utilized as the first and second layers of the oil and water repellent coatings, respectively. The coated samples exhibited favorable water repellency, with a water contact angle of 116.4 degrees, and excellent oil repellency, achieving a 12/12 rating on the kit scale. Importantly, the samples did not exhibit any leakage after being soaked in hot water and hot oil at 95 +/- 5 degrees C for 30 min, demonstrating remarkable performance as a barrier against hot water and oil. Moreover, the coated samples displayed outstanding mechanical properties, thermal stability, biodegradability, and recyclability. The approach presented in this study is simple, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and represents a promising technique for producing fluoride-free, oil- and water-resistant pulp molding products.