O -acetyl galactoglucomannan esters for barrier coatings

A major enhancement of grease and water vapor barrier properties was accomplished with a 1–10 g/m 2 coating of O -acetyl galactoglucomannan (GGM) ester or with GGM coatings applied as water dispersions on cartonboard. GGMs were esterified with phthalic and benzoic anhydrides, respectively. The novel phthalic esters of GGM (GGM-Ph) were characterized with HPLC, NMR, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization with mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The degree of substitution of GGM-Ph was obtained by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and HPLC. The GGM esters and GGM were coated onto cartonboard, and they demonstrated good moisture and very good grease resistance even with thin 1–3 g/m 2 coatings. The time for penetration of 0.1 % rapeseed oil was 54 h with the 2.4 g/m 2 coating thickness. The lowest water vapor transmission value was 39 g/m 2 /24 h with 9.7 g/m 2 coating. The GGM esters had clearly higher water resistance and slightly higher grease barrier values than native GGM. High-molar-mass-based GGM (50 kg/mol) and GGM-Ph rendered better water vapor and grease barrier properties than low-molar-mass GGM (9 kg/mol) and GGM-Ph. The GGM-based coatings can be safely used on an industrial scale as water was used as a solvent. As obtained from non-food-based side-stream wood-based resources, GGM and GGM esters project a sustainable and modern conception for barrier purposes in food packaging.