Heat-sealable paperboard structures and associated paperboard-based containers

Abstract

A paperboard structure including a paperboard substrate having a first major side and a second major side, a barrier coating layer on the first major side of the paperboard substrate, a top coat on the first major side of the paperboard substrate, wherein the barrier coating layer is positioned between the paperboard substrate and the top coat, and a heat-sealable barrier coating layer on the second major side of the paperboard substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A paperboard structure comprising:
 a paperboard substrate having a first side and a second side;   a barrier coating layer on the first side of the paperboard substrate, the barrier coating layer comprising a barrier coating binder and a barrier coating pigment at a first binder-to-pigment ratio;   a top coat on the first side of the paperboard substrate, the top coat comprising a top coat binder and a top coat pigment at a second binder-to-pigment ratio, wherein the first binder-to-pigment ratio is greater than the second binder-to-pigment ratio, and wherein the barrier coating layer is positioned between the paperboard substrate and the top coat, the top coat defining an outermost surface of the first side of the paperboard structure; and   a heat-sealable barrier coating layer on the second side of the paperboard substrate, the heat-sealable barrier coating layer defining an outermost surface of the second side of the paperboard structure, wherein the heat-sealable barrier coating layer comprises heat-sealable barrier coating binder and heat-sealable barrier coating pigment, wherein the heat-sealable barrier coating binder comprises at least one of styrene-acrylate, styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene acrylic acid, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acrylic, and polyester dispersion.   
     
     
         2 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the first binder-to-pigment ratio is at least 1:2, by weight. 
     
     
         3 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the second binder-to-pigment ratio ranges from 1:1 to 1:10. 
     
     
         4 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the paperboard substrate comprises solid bleached sulfate. 
     
     
         5 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the paperboard substrate has a basis weight ranging from 85 lb/3000 ft 2  to 250 lb/3000 ft 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the paperboard substrate has a caliper ranging from 8 points to 24 points. 
     
     
         7 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the barrier coating layer has a coat weight ranging from 2 lb/3000 ft 2  to 20 lb/3000 ft 2 . 
     
     
         8 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the barrier coating binder comprises at least one of styrene-acrylate, styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene acrylic acid, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acrylic, and polyester dispersion. 
     
     
         9 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the barrier coating pigment comprises at least one of a clay pigment, a CaCO 3  pigment, a plastic pigment, a titanium dioxide pigment, and a talc pigment. 
     
     
         10 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the top coat has a coat weight ranging from 1 lb/3000 ft 2  to 10 lb/3000 ft 2 . 
     
     
         11 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the second binder-to-pigment ratio is 1:2 to 1:8, by weight. 
     
     
         12 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the top coat binder comprises at least one of styrene-acrylate, styrene-butadien rubber, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl acrylic, ethylene acrylic acid, and polyester dispersion. 
     
     
         13 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the top coat pigment comprises at least one of clay pigment and calcium carbonate pigment. 
     
     
         14 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the heat-sealable barrier coating layer has a coat weight ranging from 2 lb/3000 ft 2  to 20 lb/3000 ft 2 . 
     
     
         15 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein a heat-sealable barrier coating ratio of the binder to the pigment is at least 1:1, by weight. 
     
     
         16 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the heat-sealable barrier coating pigment comprises at least one of a clay pigment, a CaCO 3  pigment, a plastic pigment, a titanium dioxide pigment, and a talc pigment. 
     
     
         17 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the outermost surface of the first side of the paperboard structure has a Parker Print Surface (PPS-10S) smoothness of at most 4 microns. 
     
     
         18 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  wherein the outermost surface of the first side of the paperboard structure has a Parker Print Surface (PPS-10S) smoothness of at most 3 microns. 
     
     
         19 . The paperboard structure of  claim 1  having a 30-minute-water-Cobb rating of at most 30 g/m2. 
     
     
         20 . The paperboard comprising the paperboard structure of  claim 1 .