M. Prochoń

Thermal properties and combustibility of elastomer–protein composites

The article describes the measurements results of the influence of waste keratin on the properties of cross-linked styrene-butadiene rubber especially taking its thermal properties and flammability into consideration. The biopolymer used was thoroughly examined by means of derivatography, elementary analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, Zetasizer nano S90, and Zetasizer 2000. It has been found that the presence of protein facilitates the cross-linking of the elastomer investigated and the elastomeric-protein materials are characterized by good thermal and mechanical properties as well as a considerably increased resistance to thermooxidative aging. Under the influence of keratin, the flammability of the composites obtained is decreased.

Biodegradable protein-containing elastomeric vulcanizates

Abstract The effects of leather powders, chrome tanned leather powders and keratin were studied on properties of the synthetic isoprene rubber IR and the microbiological decomposition of the result...

Innovative Application of Biopolymer Keratin as a Filler of Synthetic Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber NBR

The current investigations show the influence of keratin, recovered from the tanning industry, on the thermal and mechanical properties of vulcanizates with synthetic rubber acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber NBR. The addition of waste protein to NBR vulcanizates influences the improvement of resistance at high temperatures and mechanical properties like tensile strength and hardness. The introduction of keratin to the mixes of rubber previously blended with zinc oxide (ZnO) before vulcanization process leads to an increase in the cross-linking density of vulcanizates. The polymer materials received including addition of proteins will undergo biodecomposition in natural conditions. After soil test, vulcanizates with keratin especially keratin with ZnO showed much more changes on the surface area than vulcanizates without protein. In that aerobic environment, microorganisms, bacteria, and fungus digested better polymer materials containing natural additives.

The Effect of Waste Fodder Potato Proteins on the Mechanical Properties of Carboxylated Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber

The current investigation treats about the influence of waste fodder potato proteins (WFPP) recovered from the starch industry on the mechanical-properties of carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (XNBR). WFPP were characterized and used as a filler of the above mentioned XNBR rubber without or after blending with zinc oxide. The obtained rubber compounds were cured, and mechanical properties such as tensile strength, hardness, and cross-linking density were investigated. It was found that the introduction of WFPP previously blended with zinc oxide into rubber compound increases the cross-linking density of the obtained composites, compared with the vulcanizate without protein, which in turn increases the mechanical properties of the obtained vulcanizates. That occurs thanks to the formation of ion nodes, as testified by equilibrium swelling. The introduction of WFPP into the elastomer matrix also increases the susceptibility of the elastomer to biodecomposition.