Porous Thermoformed Protein Bioblends as Degradable Absorbent Alternatives in Sanitary Materials.
Agnès Jugé, Jeannine Moreno-Villafranca, Victor M Perez-Puyana, Mercedes Jiménez-Rosado, Marcos Sabino, Antonio J Capezza
Author Information
Agnès Jugé: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, Polymeric Materials Division, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Stockholm 10044, Sweden.
Jeannine Moreno-Villafranca: B5IDA Research Group Chemistry Department, Universidad Simón Bolívar, AP 89000, Caracas, Venezuela.
Victor M Perez-Puyana: University of Seville, Department of Chemical Engineering, Seville 41012, Spain. ORCID
Mercedes Jiménez-Rosado: University of Seville, Department of Chemical Engineering, Seville 41012, Spain. ORCID
Marcos Sabino: B5IDA Research Group Chemistry Department, Universidad Simón Bolívar, AP 89000, Caracas, Venezuela.
Antonio J Capezza: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, Polymeric Materials Division, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Stockholm 10044, Sweden. ORCID
Protein-based porous absorbent structures can be processed and assembled into configurations suitable for single-use, biodegradable sanitary materials. In this work, a formulation based on a mixture of proteins available as industrial coproducts is processed into continuous porous structures using extrusion and assembled using conventional thermal methods. The experimental design led to formulations solely based on zein-gluten protein bioblends that could be manufactured as liquid absorbent pellets, compressed pads, and/or porous films. The processing versatility is attributed to the synergistic effect of zein as a low viscosity thermoformable protein with gluten as a readily cross-linkable high molecular weight protein. The capillary-driven sorption, the biodegradability of the materials, and the possibility to assemble the products as multilayer components provide excellent performance indicators for their use as microplastic-free absorbents. This work shows the potential of biopolymers for manufacturing sustainable alternatives to current nonbiodegradable and highly polluting disposable items such as pads and diapers.
References
Environ Sci Process Impacts. 2015 Sep;17(9):1513-21
[PMID: 26216708]
