Castor oil‐based paper packaging coating with water resistance and degradability obtained by thiol‐ene click reaction

With the implementation of plastic restrictions and the increasingly serious problem of environmental pollution, paper with green and recyclable characteristics is gradually becoming a substitute for packaging materials. However, the rich cellulose structure in the paper, which contains hydroxyl groups leading to its hydrophilicity, allows water molecules to penetrate the paper and disrupt the hydrogen bonds between cellulose, resulting in a decrease in mechanical properties. Therefore, waterproof coatings are crucial for paper‐based materials to be used in many applications. Based on this, the paper surface was chemically modified with castor oil‐based resin (CO‐590) monomer prepared by coupling agent and castor oil (CO). The results indicated that the modified paper with the contact angle (CA) of 114° had excellent waterproof performance and had a reduction by 40.3% in water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), but also its mechanical increased to 26.9 MPa and the decomposition temperature to 410.5°C. In addition, the coating on its surface could be removed in an alkaline solution and had a possibility to recycle blank paper in the future for manufacturing sustainable production. This work not only provides a method for preparing modified packaging paper, but also expands the application fields of materials. Preparation of castor oil‐based waterproof coating for paper.