Thermoplastic Blends from Albumin and Zein: Plastic Formation and Mechanical Properties Including Modeling

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• 作者：Alexander Jones ; Suraj Sharma
• 关键词：Thermoplastic blends ; Bioplastics ; Mechanical ; Modelling ; Medical plastics ; Food packaging
• 刊名：Journal of Polymers and the Environment
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：December 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：24
• 期：4
• 页码：309-317
• 全文大小：1,600 KB
• 刊物类别：Chemistry and Materials Science
• 刊物主题：Chemistry
  Polymer Sciences
  
• 出版者：Springer Netherlands
• ISSN：1572-8900
• 卷排序：24

文摘

The use of proteins in blending with traditional polymers in the formation of thermoplastics can produce plastics with properties that are superior to traditional petroleum-based plastics. We investigated the physical and thermal properties of albumin and zein thermoplastic blends plasticized with glycerol and mixed with varying amounts of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Several mechanical models were utilized to determine how tensile properties will be altered when varying amounts of protein/LDPE were added into the thermoplastic blend. When analyzed for thermal properties, we found that as the amount of LDPE in the thermoplastic blend increased, the resulting plastic possessed thermal properties that were more similar to pure LDPE plastics. In terms of mechanical properties, comparison between the experimental data and model predictions points to a synergistic effect between albumin and LDPE that leads to higher modulus, while a potential lack of compatibility between zein and LDPE leads to a plastic with lower modulus. Based on our results, the use of albumin and zein proteins when blended with LDPE in the production of thermoplastics has potential use in the areas of medical and food packaging applications.