[Calorimetric study of the glass transition of denatured collagen]

Temperature dependence of heat capacity of native and denatured collagen samples with different content of bound water (6 divided by 27%) has been studied by DSC method in the temperature range from -50 to 150 degrees C. Heat capacity of denatured samples demonstrates a jump of 0.50 J/g.grad. at temperature Tg, which depends on humidity of the sample. It has been shown that Tg value also depends on the heating rate and thermal history. Annealing at the temperature below Tg produces an additional maximum in the temperature dependence on heat capacity. The magnitude of this maximum, as well as the Tg value increase with the annealing time. It is concluded that these properties of heat capacity reflect glass transition in the denatured collagen.