The cracking of coatings on the fold is a defect that harms the final product. Therefore, paper manufacturers strive to eliminate coating cracking to avoid complaints or objections and strive to achieve the elongation properties of the coating layer on the substrate while, at the same time, providing sufficient paper tensile strength against creasing. With papers with low crease-resistance, the fibers often tear and thus break the fiber bonds. Their tensile strength increases with the coating. The quality of the paper depends on the length and frequency of the cellulose fibers, since they do not break when folded, but only bend. The coating of paper is a finishing process in which the optical and printing properties are improved but the physical and mechanical properties are deteriorated, which includes folding the paper.
Cracking during coating is usually due to the surface mass of the base paper, the number of coating layers, the effects of the individual components in the coating mixture, and external environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity. The aim of the investigations on cracking in coatings of special graphic papers in the master thesis which was carried out in cooperation with Papirnica Vevče was to investigate the properties of coated papers (base, surface, and structural properties), to compare coating mixtures according to their composition, to identify effects on cracking of coatings, and to determine combinations of base paper and coating components that would have the lowest tendency to crack. Five different samples of special graphic papers were examined, i.e. PackPro 7.1 (V1), NiklaPack (V2), Niklaselect (V3), NiklaPET (V4), and PackPro 7.5 (V5). All samples are coated on one side and suitable for the paper finishing process – laminating. V1, V2, and V5 are intended for the production of flexible packaging and V3 and V4 for the production of label papers. The results of the study on coating cracking showed that the tendency to cracking is significantly influenced by the thickness of the paper and consequently by the number of coating layers. The effect was also determined due to the higher moisture content in the sample. The correlation between the tendency to coat cracking and the components of the coating mix was most evident in the content of a higher amount of binders and the selected binder types.
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