Enhancement of Biologic Paint Performance Using Cellulose Nanocrystals and Chitosan

Overview

Conventional paints pose major environmental and health concerns due to their reliance on heavy-metal pigments and volatile organic compound-emitting binders, necessitating sustainable alternatives. Previously formulated biologic paint, developed with bacteria-derived dsRED pigment protein and casein-based binding medium, has successfully replaced toxic components but exhibits prolonged drying time (~16 min), limiting its practical applicability. The present study addresses this key limitation by incorporating cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and chitosan as biologic additives to improve drying kinetics. Paint formulations containing 2%, 5%, and 10% of each additive were tested under controlled environmental conditions (20°C, 60% relative humidity) following the GB/T 1728-2020 standard. Both CNC and chitosan significantly reduced drying time in a concentration-dependent manner (p<0.001). The 10% CNC and 10% chitosan formulations achieved 61% and 44% reductions in drying time, respectively, relative to the unmodified biologic paint (12.96±1.07 minutes at baseline). Regression analysis indicated that each 1% increase in CNC or chitosan concentration reduced drying time by 0.77 min and 0.58 min, respectively. The optimized biologic paints exhibited acceptable drying times (5-7 min) and are non-toxic and sustainable. These findings demonstrate an advancement in the development of biologically derived coatings, providing a feasible pathway toward safe and environmentally-friendly alternatives to conventional synthetic paints.

Competition history

• AJAS 2026 Category not listed

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