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ABSTRACT Keratin particles with microscale are prepared by ball mill and its influences on the chitosan membrane is evaluated. Composite membranes with various content of keratin are fabricated, and their physical and chemical properties such as morphology, wettability, crystallization, thermal stability, tensile strength, and break elongation are investigated. Optical microscope and situ topographic scan mode of nano-test system are used to examine the dispersion and aggregation of keratin on the surface of chitosan membrane. The result of contact angle (CA) and mechanical testing show that the incorporation of keratin particles decrease the CA from 98.1° to 58.2°. Tensile strength and break elongation of the composite membrane reaches a maximum of 65 ± 8 MPa and 15% when the keratin content is 6%, an increase of 80% and 88% compared with the pristine chitosan membrane. Both the increase in tensile strength and break elongation is result of the incorporation of keratin particles known for their excellent compatibility between keratin and chitosan matrix. These kind of composite material combines the antibacterial properties of chitosan with cell culture preference of keratin which may have potential biomedical application. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44667. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The chemical modification of soy protein isolate (SPI) with various amounts of oxidized sucrose was performed in this study. The poor mechanical properties and lack of hydrolysis resistance of SPI have limited its applications in various fields. Although chemical modification proved to be an effective method to enhance the properties of SPI films, current SPI modifiers are either expensive, toxic, or do not impart the satisfiable properties to the modified materials. In this research, the possibility of modification of SPI films using oxidized sucrose to improve their strength and stability was examined. At optimal conditions, oxidized sucrose-modified SPI films showed about 50% higher wet strength than the control films. The melting temperature of modified SPI film was 26°C higher than the unmodified control. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41473. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wool powders with low solubility could be easily prepared from wool fibers by combining hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) and grinding processes. Transforming wool fibers into powders was the first step of exploiting wool as new materials such as bio-thermoplastics. However, wool fibers were difficult to be prepared into powders only by grinding due to their toughness. This article used a chemical-free method to obtain wool powders by grinding HTP-treated wool fibers. Wool fibers after HTP at 130°C for 40 min or above were obviously easier to be broken into snippets with lengths of 25-150 μm after grinding for 1 min and shapeless super-fine powders with diameters of 3-15 μm after ball milling for 10 min. Wool fibers after HTP were brittle mainly owing to decrease of α-helices and SS bonds. Combination of HTP and grinding could be an eco-friendly and feasible treatment to prepare wool powders on industrial scale. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40173. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin, a yellow pigment known to have various biological activities, was applied onto cotton as an antimicrobial agent. Curcumin could provide both color and antimicrobial activity to cotton and can be dyed using a batch or continuous process. However, curcumin and cotton have low affinity and therefore the ability of curcumin to impart durable antimicrobial activity on cotton needs to be studied. In this research, the ability of curcumin dyed onto cotton fabrics to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was studied. Relationships that can predict the rate of inhibition based on the curcumin concentration or shade depth ( K/ S values) were developed without the need for an antimicrobial test. Durability of antimicrobial activity to laundering and to light was also studied. Curcumin was more effective in inhibiting S. aureus than E. coli. The reduction of bacteria and durability of antimicrobial activity of curcumin to laundering was inferior on cotton fabrics compared with wool. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research done on the mechanical properties of polylactide (PLA) after repeated cleanings. Poor resistance to hydrolysis is one of the problems with PLA. The researchers developed equations to predict the retention percentage of the modulus, breaking elongation, and breaking tenacity.