CROSS-LINKING OF GELATIN IN THE REACTION WITH FORMALDEHYDE - AN FT-IRSPECTROSCOPIC STUDY

The reaction of an aqueous solution of formaldehyde with gelatin dispe rsed in a potassium bromide pellet is monitored in real time by FT-IR spectroscopy. Principal component regression analysis of the spectra r ecorded at different times is carried out. On the whole, the latter re sults and the observed spectral changes are in agreement with a previo usly reported interpretation for the kinetics of the crosslinking reac tion of gelatin with formaldehyde, according to which the reaction is initialized by the lysine-methylol formation and is subsequently follo wed by arginine-methylol, which, in turn, reacts with lysine-methylol to originate arginine-lysine crosslinks.