EVALUATION OF FILMS PRODUCED BY EXTRUSION OF GELATIN/THERMOPLASTIC WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE BLENDS

• Grant number: 24/12467-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: February 06, 2025
• End date: March 05, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marina Fernandes Cosate de Andrade
• Grantee: Marina Fernandes Cosate de Andrade
• Host Investigator: Markus Schmid
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, Germany

Abstract

Proteins represent renewable materials with broad potential in packaging and other areas. Thermoplastic Whey Protein Isolate (WPIT) and gelatin are promising candidates for new materials, despite technological challenges such as processing and mechanical strength. Adding vitamin E to WPIT can stabilize its electrostatic interactions, reducing degradation and improving mechanical resistance. Mixing gelatin and WPIT may produce a material with greater mechanical strength and thermal stability than pure WPIT. The preparation of the material begins with the denaturation of WPIT in the presence of vitamin E, followed by microencapsulation with gelatin to thermally protect the whey protein. Subsequently, gelatin/WPIT blends and films will be manufactured by extrusion.In this context, this research project abroad evaluates the barrier, rheological, colorimetric, and structural properties of gelatin/WPIT blend films by extrusion, which will be conducted at the University of Albstadt-Sigmaringen in Germany. Gelatin/WPIT films produced in Brazil will be evaluated considering requirements for application in food packaging. The 100% gelatin, 90% gelatin/10% WPIT, and 70% gelatin/30% WPIT formulations in film form will be characterized by barrier properties with obtaining oxygen transmission rates, by rheological behavior by rheometry of parallel plates, by interactions between the components of the blends by Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and by measuring color via colorimeter and the yellowing index.