STUDY OF GELATIN/THERMOPLASTIC WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE BLENDS FOR MANUFACTURING FILMS BY EXTRUSION

• Grant number: 23/14433-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marina Fernandes Cosate de Andrade
• Grantee: Marina Fernandes Cosate de Andrade
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Proteins are materials from renewable sources with a high potential for use in packaging and various applications. Thermoplastic Whey Protein Isolate (WPIT) and gelatin have been evaluated as a possibility in new materials, although it still must overcome technological challenges, such as processability and mechanical resistance to be used as an option for commercial polymers. The addition of vitamin E to WPIT could stabilize its electrostatic interactions, avoid degradation during processing, and increase its mechanical resistance. The evaluation of a blend of gelatin with WPIT could generate a material with greater mechanical resistance and thermal stability, compared to pure WPIT. The first step in the production of the blend will be the denaturation of the WPI with vitamin E, which will be studied by Design of Experiments (DOE) using as factors polyethylene glycol (PEG) content and vitamin E content. The viscoelastic behavior of the formulations will be studied by parallel plate rheometry to determine if the viscous component is predominant in any formulation, which is ideal for its processing. Next, the gelatin will microencapsulate WPIT, which will be analyzed by zeta potential, and the blends of plasticized gelatin and WPIT microencapsulated with gelatin and their films will be manufactured by extrusion, which will be investigated in terms of interactions between the components. The films produced will be characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), tensile test, oxygen permeability, rheological properties, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). (AU)