PRODUCTION OF TEXTILE FIBERS FROM ZEIN AND A SOY PROTEIN ZEIN BLEND

Zein fibers were successfully prepared by a wet-spinning technique fro m a zein suspension formulated with 15% zein, 60% water, 22% 0.4N sodi um hydroxide, and 3% urea by weight. Tenacities were measured with an Instron machine, and flexibility was determined by noting the smallest diameter rod around which a fiber could be looped without breaking. A fter spinning, the tenacity of the zein fibers was improved by modific ation with several agents: acetic anhydride for acetylation, glutarald ehyde, and dialcohols for cross-linking and physical stretching. The t enacity and flexibility of the fibers were measured at 11, 65, and 100 % rh. Untreated fibers had tenacities of 3.41, 2.65, and 0.17 g/tex at 11, 65, and 100% rh, respectively A combination of chemical treatment s (20% glutaraldehyde and 95% acetic anhydride) and 115% stretching in creased tenacities to 6.89. 6.56, and 1.17 g/tex at 11, 65, and 100% r h, respectively. Control zein fibers had flexibilities of 5 and 2.5 mm at 11 and 65% rh, respectively, whereas the treated fibers had flexib ilities of 1.5 mm at both humidities. Extrusion of zein fibers was not successful. Zein-soy protein mixture could be extruded, but propertie s of wet-spun fibers of zein-say blends were not much improved over th ose of soy protein alone. The tenacity of blended soy protein-zein fib ers was greater than that of soy protein fibers at 11% rh.