Thermoplastics from Soy Protein: A Review on Processing, Blends and Composites

There is an increased demand for biobased polymers due to uncertainty over fossil resources and also environmental concerns. Plant based raw material such as starch and protein are high in demand for material applications, due to their easy availability and biodegradability. Among various proteineous materials available, soy protein has a potentiality for wide range of uses right from packaging to ballistic applications. However, due to the presence of various crosslinking via hydrogen bonding, disulphide bridges and hydrophobic interactions within protein chains makes it difficult for processing. This can be overcome by understanding the physicochemical nature of the soy protein and using different plasticizers. The current work reviews the techniques used to improve the processability of soy protein, soy protein based blends, composites and nanocomposites.