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Properties of wheat gluten/poly(lactic acid) laminates
Sung-Woo Cho1, Mikael Gällstedt, Mikael S Hedenqvist
1Fibre and Polymer Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
New renewable films combine wheat gluten (WG) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for enhanced strength and gas barrier properties. These laminates offer a promising alternative for packaging applications, improving upon traditional materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Food Science
Background:
- Developing sustainable and high-performance packaging materials is crucial for reducing environmental impact.
- Wheat gluten (WG) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) are renewable polymers with potential for packaging applications.
- Improving the mechanical strength and barrier properties of WG films is essential for broader use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create and characterize laminates of glycerol-plasticized wheat gluten (WG) films supported by poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films.
- To achieve a fully renewable film with high gas barrier properties and mechanical integrity for applications like paper/board extrusion coating.
- To evaluate the effect of glycerol content and processing temperatures on the laminate's properties and stability.
Main Methods:
- Production of WG/PLA laminates with varying glycerol content (0-30 wt%).
- Characterization of mechanical properties (bending, tensile strength, peel strength).
- Assessment of gas barrier properties, specifically oxygen and water vapor transmission rates (WVTR).
- Analysis of glycerol plasticizer retention and protein aggregation using infrared spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Lamination significantly improved the mechanical strength of WG films.
- Laminates exhibited excellent oxygen barrier properties, especially at low plasticizer content.
- Water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) were finite and sometimes lower than PLA alone, unlike unsupported WG films.
- The PLA layer effectively prevented glycerol loss from the WG layer during aging.
- Interlayer adhesion decreased with lower glycerol content and higher WG molding temperatures due to protein aggregation.
Conclusions:
- WG/PLA laminates offer a viable route to fully renewable, high-performance packaging films.
- The composite structure enhances mechanical integrity and provides superior gas barrier properties compared to individual components.
- PLA acts as a crucial mechanical support and moisture shield, preserving the integrity of the WG layer and its plasticizer.
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