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Porous Thermoformed Protein Bioblends as Degradable Absorbent Alternatives in Sanitary Materials
Summary
This study demonstrates that biodegradable protein-based foams made from industrial byproduct proteins (zein and gluten) can be processed into absorbent pads and films that perform like conventional disposable sanitary products — without the plastic components that shed microplastics. By replacing nonbiodegradable polymer layers in diapers and pads with compostable biopolymers, this approach could cut a major but underappreciated source of microplastic pollution.
Protein-based porous absorbent structures can be processed and assembled into configurations suitable for single-use, biodegradable sanitary materials. In this work, a formulation based on a mixture of proteins available as industrial coproducts is processed into continuous porous structures using extrusion and assembled using conventional thermal methods. The experimental design led to formulations solely based on zein-gluten protein bioblends that could be manufactured as liquid absorbent pellets, compressed pads, and/or porous films. The processing versatility is attributed to the synergistic effect of zein as a low viscosity thermoformable protein with gluten as a readily cross-linkable high molecular weight protein. The capillary-driven sorption, the biodegradability of the materials, and the possibility to assemble the products as multilayer components provide excellent performance indicators for their use as microplastic-free absorbents. This work shows the potential of biopolymers for manufacturing sustainable alternatives to current nonbiodegradable and highly polluting disposable items such as pads and diapers.
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