Paper and Paper Coatings

The applicability of surface analysis data like XPS and contact angle measurements within the paper industry is universally accepted. Very often the driving force of the manufacturing process will come from knowledge of the surface properties of the paper at each stage of that process. The impact within markets, that the finished product will serve, can be determined by a physical and chemical qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the interaction between the paper and the coatings applied during that subsequent use. 

The high speed camera on the Optical Contact Angle instrument (OCA) can even be used to see how fast a liquid, such as a printing ink, wets out a substrate or is absorbed into the paper as illustrated.

Optical microscopy and SEM/EDX can be used to assess the extent of disturbance of coatings and damage on paper and cardboard packaging from laser marking and date code application. Excessive laser power can expose cardboard substrates generating unwanted dust during production and increase the likelihood of water damage when the polymer coating seal is compomised.