A research team at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) has developed a new recipe for receipts that does not contain the chemicals Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bisphenol S (BPF) comes along. Like the trade magazine Science Advances and MDR knowledge report, the new coating is based on Lignina main component of wood.
Toxicological tests confirmed the safety of the components used.
In Science Advances the researchers describe how the substance contained in the wood Lignin together with the plant sugar Xylan could be used for thermal paper. The naturally produced thermal paper can be printed with standard printers just like conventional paper.
Thermal paper without bisphenols
Thermopapierthat for Receipts, airline tickets or labels used contained BPA or BPS for decades. These substances, which are also used as plasticizers in plastics, are considered to have hormonal effects and can enter the body through the skin. BPA has been in Switzerland since July 2025 – as well other bisphenols – prohibited in materials that come into contact with food. There has also been a ban in the EU since 2025.
Long search for substitutes
Regulatory authorities and manufacturers have therefore been looking for suitable ones for a long time substitutesas EPFL wrote in a statement about the study. However, development has so far proven to be difficult: one less toxic alternative must react at the right temperature, remain stable in storage over a long period of time, mix well with other coating components and at the same time avoid undesirable background discoloration.
According to the university, many of the bio-based materials proposed so far failed to meet one or more of these requirements.
The one now presented Lignin based coating According to the study, meets these criteria. When heated, clear print images are created with a color density that meets the requirements of commercial thermal paper. The coatings remained stable for months and printed logos were still legible even after a year.