Effect of glutaraldehyde crosslinking conditions on the strength and water stability of wheat gluten fibers

Regenerated protein fibers from plant proteins including wheat gluten lack the mechanical properties and water stability desired for usual applications. Crosslinking has been used to improve the properties of regenerated proteins fibers. Although glutaraldehyde is commonly used to crosslink proteins, the effect of various crosslinking conditions on the properties of the materials has not been studied. In this work, a systematic study of glutaraldehyde crosslinking conditions of wheat gluten fibers is presented and shows that even low concentrations of glutaraldehyde (0.05%) can improve the strength and water stability of wheat gluten fibers.