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Preparation and properties of molded blends of wheat gluten and cationic water‐borne polyurethanes
Author(s) -
Zhong Ni,
Yuan Qiaolong
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.38198
Subject(s) - materials science , cationic polymerization , glass transition , ultimate tensile strength , composite material , water resistance , absorption of water , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , polymer blend , plasticizer , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , polymer , copolymer , engineering
Cationic water‐borne polyurethanes (CWPU) were prepared and blended with wheat gluten (WG) in aqueous dispersion. The freeze‐dried blend powders of WG/CWPU were thermally compression‐molded into sheets. The tensile strength of the WG/CWPU blends decreased with increasing CWPU content, showing a relationship between the composition of the sheets and their mechanical properties. FTIR spectra reveal that the free carbonyl in the blend results in a decrease in the hydrogen‐bonding interaction of the WG. SEM images show that the morphology of the cross‐sections of the blends is homogenous. The dynamic thermal behavior of the blends illustrates that the WG is plasticized by CWPU, with the result that the relaxation transition of the WG becomes broader and the temperature transition of WG changes slightly. The water resistance of the WG was also improved by blending it with the CWPU. Biodegradation of the blends in soil resulted in a loss in mass of the samples of more than 60% w/w after burial for 15 days. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013