Heat-sealable paperboard structures and associated paperboard-based containers

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.