Lignin emulsifying rosin for improved sizing performance and mechanical properties of liquid packaging board

Global liquid packaging industry has been greatly spurred by the rapidly growing food & beverage industry all over the world. Liquid packaging board (LPB), as the main composition (75–80 %) of laminated liquid packaging cartons, must possess high-quality of hydrophobicity and physical properties for excellent leak-proof and protecting the packaged commodity. Herein, in this study, lignin is selected to prepare lignin cationic surfactant (LCS) by quaternary ammonium modification. Then cationic lignin modified rosin size (L-CDRS) with uniform microsphere structure and high colloidal stability is successfully synthesized via a phase inversion process to improve the sizing performance and mechanical properties of LPB. The cation modified LCS presents improved amphipathicity of rich cationic charges and hydrophobic benzene ring skeleton, thus enhancing the electrostatic interactions between LCS and pulp fibers and improving the sizing performance of L-CDRS. The sizing performance of LPB is evaluated by varying the LCS dosages within L-CDRS and concluded that the edge penetration value and Cobb value of LPB handsheets exhibit an improved size performance with 2 % LCS within L-CDRS, implying the formation of homogeneous hydrophobic surface layer induced by the well-distribution of L-CDRS. In addition, the tensile index of LPB increased from 19.74 N·m/g to 25.96 N·m/g assisted by 2 % LCS emulsified L-CDRS, indicating an improved mechanical property. This study puts forward a practical and facile strategy to improve the sizing performance and mechanical properties facilitated by lignin enhanced rosin size and will further broaden the application range of traditional rosin size and lignin in LPB products. [Display omitted] •Lignin was modified into quaternary ammonium etherified cationic surfactant with improved emulsifying ability.•Cationic lignin can emulsify rosin to prepare L-CDRS with uniform microsphere structure and high colloidal stability.•L-CDRS exhibited a significantly improved sizing performance of LPB compared with the control rosin size.•The addition of L-CDRS contributed greatly to the enhanced mechanical properties of LPB.•The mechanism of improved sizing performance and mechanical properties of LPB induced by L-CDRS size agent was proposed.