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ABSTRACT
There is current interest in using agro-based biopolymers in industrial applications. Because cottonseed protein is abundantly available, it would be useful to explore its feasibility as a polymeric additive and possible substitute for petroleum-based materials. In this work, we studied cottonseed protein isolate as a paper additive and observed its effects on the paper’s dry and wet strength. The tensile strength of paper was found to vary with the amount of the protein applied. By application of an 11% protein solution to the paper, the dry and wet strength increased by 33 and 16% compared with the paper by itself, respectively. The combined use of cottonseed protein and an acid (acetic, adipic, aspartic, and citric acids) to promote adhesion resulted in even greater dry paper strength but not in greater wet paper strength. Thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopic studies suggested that the protein interacted with acid and that both components interacted with paper fibers to produce increased strength.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Scott Pelitire, David Zhang, and Catrina Ford for samples of CPI, Catrina Ford for assistance with mechanical testing, Sunghyun Nam for instructions on SEM analysis, Jade Smith for help with TGA analysis and Thomas Klasson for helpful suggestions. Thanks are also due to Wade Britt (Ingredion Inc.) for supplying the starch samples.
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