ARS | Publication request: PREPARATION OF BIOPOLYMERS. POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS IN LEATHER PROCESSING

Submitted to: American Leather Chemists Association Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 1, 2004
Publication Date: April 1, 2004
Citation: Taylor, M.M., Marmer, W.N., Brown, E.M. 2004. Preparation of biopolymers. potential applications in leather processing [abstract]. American Leather Chemists Association Meeting. Paper No. 20.

Technical Abstract: Preparation of biopolymers formed by crosslinking dissimilar proteins is an area of growing interest. Recently, there have been numerous reports on the properties of a variety of biopolymers synthesized by enzymatic treatment. These products have the advantage of possessing the unique properties of each protein and have the potential for generating novel products with improved functionality, such as hydrophobicity, solubility, and emulsifying and foaming properties as well as improved thermal stability. Prior research from this laboratory demonstrated that gelatins of varying qualities could be enzymatically modified to give products with superior functional properties. These modified gelatins, when examined by SDS PAGE, were highly polymerized, as demonstrated by an increase in molecular weight distribution. In the current study, we examined individually the properties of modified proteins from renewable resources, specifically gelatins and casein, as well as their enzymatically combined products. We found that the physical and functional properties are influenced not only by the relative amounts of each protein that are added to the reaction but also by the concentration of enzyme that is used to carry out the modification. These unique reactions have the potential of generating products used in leather processing, more specifically in preparation of coatings and/or fillers for leather.