TwoTAPPI Journal best research papers for 2025 highlight advances in barrier coatings and nonwoven filtration materials. The studies address performance characteristics relevant to packaging barriers and filtration technologies used in industrial and protective applications.
TAPPI recognizes top research papers
TAPPI has announced the recipients of the Best Research Paper awards for 2025 in TAPPI Journal. The annual recognition is determined by the journal’s editorial board and is based on scientific merit, innovation, and clarity of research.
Two papers were selected for the 2025 award.
Research on barrier coatings
The first winning paper, “The influence of precoating layers on the performance of water-based barrier coatings,” was authored by Kritee Pokharel, Douglas W. Bousfield, and Jinwu Wang.
Pokharel and Bousfield are affiliated with the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Maine in Orono, while Wang is a scientist at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin.
Published in the January 2025 issue of TAPPI Journal, the study examines how precoating layers influence the performance of water-based barrier coatings, which are increasingly relevant for fiber-based packaging applications.
Nonwovens filtration study
The second award-winning paper, “Filtration performance of face masks and facepiece respirators used during COVID-19 pandemic,” was authored by Md Faizur Rahman with co-authors Mirza Mohammad Omar Khyum and Seshadri Ramkumar.
The researchers are based at the Department of Environmental Toxicology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
The February 2025 publication evaluates filtration performance across several nonwoven materials, including spunmelt, wetlaid, and carded structures. According to the editorial board, the research highlights how material selection and manufacturing standards influence filtration performance.
Honghi Tran research prize
Primary authors Pokharel and Rahman will also share the Honghi Tran TAPPI Journal Best Research Paper Award, which includes a $3,000 prize.
The award was established in 2019 by Professor Emeritus Honghi Tran of the University of Toronto to recognize high-quality research published in TAPPI Journal.
Award presentation
The awards will be presented during TAPPICon 2026, scheduled for April 26–29, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio.
TAPPI is an international association serving the pulp, paper, packaging, tissue, and converting industries. The organization provides technical resources, professional training, industry events, and publishes research through platforms such as TAPPI Journal, Paper360°, and Tissue360°.
Source: TAPPI
