Investigation of poly (styrene-4-vinylbenzyl chloride) as a curing agent for alternative plant proteins.

Poly (styrene-4-vinylbenzyl chloride) (PSVBC) was synthesized by polymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl chloride and styrene. FTIR was used for characterization of PSVBC and for curing of three protein/PSVBC adhesives (proteins include potato, corn, and pea proteins). Protein-PSVBC adhesives were investigated for bonding maple veneers. The shear strength and water resistance of the resultant maple laminates were evaluated. More specifically, the effects of the NaOH concentration, hot press conditions (temperature and time), total solids content, and protein-PSVBC weight ratios on the shear strengths and water resistance were studied. The addition of PSVBC improved the wet shear strength of the laminates from 0.1 to 0.85 MPa for potato-PSVBC adhesive and from 0.1 to 0.73 MPa for corn-PSVBC adhesive. However, the addition of PSVBC did not increase the wet strength of the laminates for the pea-PSVBC adhesive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]