G. Galietta et al., Mechanical and thermomechanical properties of films based on whey proteinsas affected by plasticizer and crosslinking agents, J DAIRY SCI, 81(12), 1998, pp. 3123-3130
The plasticizing effect of glycerol and the crosslinking effect of formalde
hyde and calcium chloride on the mechanical and thermomechanical properties
of whey protein-based films were studied. Increased plasticizer content in
creased the percentage of solubility in water and decreased the mechanical
resistance, apparent Young modulus, and glass transition temperature of the
whey protein films. The incorporation of formaldehyde as a crosslinking ag
ent enhanced the mechanical properties and insolubility behavior and increa
sed the glass transition temperature. The addition of a low concentration o
f CaCl2 in the film formulation did not significantly effect the functional
properties of the films. These changes could be partially explained by the
modifications in cohesion between the protein chains because of changes in
type, intensity, and distribution of the intermolecular interactions.