Characterization of extruded plant protein and petroleum-based packaging sheets

Extruded packaging sheets (EPS) were manufactured from wheat gluten (WG) or sorghum flour (SF) in combination with (10, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) low dens ity polyethylene (LDPE) or metallocene-catalyzed ethylene-butene copolymer (MCEBC), and plasticized successfully with sorbitol at a weight ratio of 1: 1. Physical analyses were used to characterize the extruded packaging mater ials. Tensile strengths and elongations of the sheets significantly decreas ed as the WG or SF increased. Sheets formulated with approximate to1:1:2 wh eat gluten, sorbitol, and MCEBC exhibited similar elastic properties compar ed with a 100% MCEBC sheet. Young's modulus and percent elongation at break values decreased as WG-sorbitol or SF-sorbitol level increased in the EPS.