BIODEGRADABLE FILMS CONTAINING CASEINATE AND THEIR METHOD OFMANUFACTURE BY IRRADIATION

摘要

The packing and even the excessive packaging of products for human consumpti on is a current practice in the industrialized countries. As this packaging is made primaril y of non-biodegradable polymers, they currently cause environmental problems. The se environmental problems are found not only in industrialized countries but also in developi ng countries. This situation supported the development of various films, more ecological, starting from biodegradable elements containing polysaccharides, proteins and/or lipids. W e developed a biodegradable protein film from a casein salt of dairy origin. Casein is abundant and could even be recovered from unsold milk. The process of polymerization is induced by gamma irradiation. Indeed, the interaction of hydroxyl radicals with tyrosins present in protei n creates a covalent bond (bityrosine). The addition of a plasticizing agent is essential in orde r to produce a more flexible and less friable film. The presence of glycerol does not inhibit th e formation of bityrosine. It protects protein from the denaturation caused by irradiation, increases the deforming capacity and decreases the breaking strength of film. The biodegradation tests, carried out in our laboratories, showed that the film produced by gamma irradiation is accessible to the enzymatic attacks from Pseudomonas fragi.