EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECT OF MELAMINE AS A FILLER IN PAPER COATINGS ON PRINT QUALITY

Abstract

The basic processes applied to provide better printability for paper are surface coating and sizing processes. The desired outcome of these processes is to fill in and compress the rough areas and cavities caused by the fiber structure of the paper. As a result, the paper is enhanced in terms of its optical and physical properties. In this study, the effect of melamine as a coating material on the optical properties of paper was examined. For this purpose, cationic starch sizing and melamine coating processes were carried out on base paper under laboratory conditions and in accordance with appropriate standards. Contact angle, total surface energy and FTIR measurements of the paper were performed according to the standards. Base paper and processed papers were printed with magenta ink by a laboratory type offset printability device. Then, all the samples were subjected to a lightfastness test. CIE L*a*b*, gloss, whiteness and yellowness values of all the samples (base paper, printed, unprinted, surface processed) were determined. As a result, melamine was found to be a suitable filler material for paper coatings, which improves surface properties and increases glossiness.