Institute for Color Science and Technology (ICST) Progress in Color, Colorants and Coatings 2008-2134 19 4 2026 10 01 Novel Starch-Based Coatings to Improve the Surface, Mechanical, and Physical Performance of Recycled Paperboards for Packaging Applications 467 483 82176 10.30509/pccc.2026.167714.1467 EN R. Shenoy Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of higer Education, Manipal 576104, India 0000-0002-2937-5258 P. Shetty Department of Chemistry, Alva’s Institute of Engineering and Technology, Moodbidri-574225, Karnataka, India Journal Article 2025 11 10 This study developed and characterized three novel biodegradable coating formulations based on rice, wheat, and corn starches, blended with sorbitol, polyethene glycol, and carboxymethyl cellulose. These coatings were applied to recycled paperboard using a bar coater to improve its mechanical and barrier properties for packaging applications. Comprehensive evaluation revealed that the wheat starch-based coating yielded the most significant enhancements. The application of this coating increased the bursting strength of uncoated recycled paperboards by 42.42 % and edgewise compression strength (ECT) by 8.6 %, while reducing the Cobb value by 22.89 % and porosity by <br />10.28 %. Furthermore, it substantially improved barrier performance, reducing water vapor permeability (WVP) by 49.5 %, and enhanced optical properties, increasing brightness by 1% and reducing color difference by 4.3%. The superior color printability observed for wheat-starch-coated boards is attributed to combined improvements in surface properties and reduced porosity. Statistical validation via one-way ANOVA confirmed the significance of the results. Microscopic analysis (SEM and AFM) demonstrated improved surface evenness and smoothness for all coated samples. FTIR spectroscopy in the 960–1060 cm⁻¹ region showed a decrease in light transmittance after coating, with the wheat-based formulation showing the greatest reduction (from 55 % for uncoated paperboard to 41 %), indicating effective surface coverage and interaction. The findings confirm that these starch-based coatings, particularly the wheat starch formulation, are effective in improving the strength, barrier, and printability performance of recycled paperboards. https://pccc.icrc.ac.ir/article_82176_3f6742f543fd06a9f8a88a09b4033839.pdf