Structure and Mechanical Properties of Soy Protein Materials Plasticized by Thiodiglycol

Thiodiglycol (TDG) is a relatively nontoxic compound from organic wastes. By using TDG as a plasticizer with weights from 2.5 to 40%, we prepared soy protein isolate (SPI) films by a compression-molding technique at 140 degrees C and 15 MPa. The TDG-plasticized films (SPI-TDG films) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, optical transmittance, and water uptake experiments. The SPI-TDG film plasticized with 25% TDG exhibited good mechanical properties, such as a tensile strength and modulus of 20.3 and 582 MPa, respectively, whereas the SPI-glycerol film with 25% glycerol had a tensile strength and modulus of 16.2 and 436 MPa, respectively. The results from the thermogravimetric analysis and water uptake experiments indicated that the thermal stability and water resistance of the TDG-plasticized SPI materials were higher than that of the glycerol-plasticized one. The improvements in the mechanical properties, water resistance, and thermal stability of the SPI-TDG films could be attributed to the strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between soy protein and TDG and the presence of fewer hydroxyl groups in TDG, as compared structurally with glycerol. This study provided a new plasticizer for the preparation of soy protein materials. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 111: 970-977, 2009