Thermal, mechanical, and moisture absorption properties of egg white protein bioplastics with natural rubber and glycerol

Petroleum-based plastics have many drawbacks: the large amount of energy required to produce the plastic, the waste generated as a result of plastic production, and the accumulation of waste due to slow degradation rate. It is because of these negative attributes of conventional plastic use that attention is being focused on environmentally friendly plastics from alternative sources. Albumin protein provides one possible source of raw material, with inherent antimicrobial properties that may make it suitable for medical applications. We conducted this study to investigate the various bioplastic properties of the albumin with the use of three plasticizers - water, glycerol, and natural rubber latex. Based on results, 75:25 albumin-water, 75:25 albumin-glycerol, and 80:20 albumin-natural rubber were the best blending ratios for each plasticizer for a subsequent time study to determine water stability, with the 80:20 albumin-natural rubber blend ratio having possessed the best thermal, tensile, and viscoelastic properties overall. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2194-0517-2-12) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.