Bacterial cellulose-based paper production coated with poly-ethylene oxide/poly-vinyl alcohol

•BC was used as the main component in paper production.•The coating process of bacterial cellulose-based paper with poly-ethylene oxide/poly-vinyl alcohol (PEO/PVC) was successfully carried out with rod coating method.•The result showed the coating treatment improved the mechanical, thermal, water barrier, and quality of the paper. Wood and non-wood cellulose are commonly used as raw materials for paper production. This study aims to produce paper from bacterial cellulose (BC). Due to its high-water binding property, BC was rod-coated with the mixture of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The used of PEO was varied from 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 g (w/v) whereas the use of PVA was 0.5 g (w/v). The BC paper was characterized using SEM, FTIR, and tensometer whereas the paper quality was tested by the Indonesia National Standard (SNI). The result showed the coating treatment improved the mechanical, thermal, water barrier, and quality of the paper. The optimum composition was found in the BCpAO2 sample, where the composition of PEO in the coating solution is 1.0 g. This is due to the further addition of PEO to the coating solution, makes the coating film bind more water.