The Effect of a Polymer-Stabilized Latex Cobinder on the Optical and Strength Properties of Pigment Coating Layers

Coated paper with a porous coating layer may have enhanced light-scattering ability and thus favorable optical properties. However, the increased porosity of such a coating layer is likely to decrease the strength of the coated paper, thereby adversely affecting the quality of the paper in the printing and converting processes. In this research, polymer-stabilized (PS) latex was prepared and used as a cobinder for the pigment coating of the paper. The PS latex particles were colloidally stabilized by a 3:1 mixture of starch and polyvinyl alcohol. The influence of the PS latex cobinder on the viscosity, sedimentation, and consolidation of coating colors was investigated. In addition, the effect of the cobinder on the properties of coating layers, namely, their porosity and surface, optical, and tensile properties, was examined. The results revealed that the PS latex cobinder formed micros…