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Research Project: Improving the Quality of Animal Hides, Reducing Environmental Impacts of Hide Production, and Developing Value-Added Products from Wool

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Title: Mechanical properties of biobased films prepared from collagen solutions derived from bovine hides

Author
item Liu, Cheng Kung
item Latona, Nicholas - Nick
item Taylor, Maryann

Submitted to: American Chemical Society National Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/22/2016
Publication Date: 8/23/2016
Citation: Liu, C., Latona, N.P., Taylor, M.M. 2016. Mechanical properties of biobased films prepared from collagen solutions derived from bovine hides [abstract]. American Chemical Society National Meeting. 16:2.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The most valuable byproducts of the meat packing industry are hides. The U.S. is the world’s 3rd largest hide producing country and currently produces approximately 35 million cattle hides annually. Due to fierce competition in global markets, the American leather and hides industry is facing challenges to adopt the new technology for producing novel products using either raw hides or recycled tannery waste. One of our efforts to address these challenges is to develop novel products such as biobased films from hides and tannery waste. Recently, efforts were made to prepare biobased films from un-tanned hides, which also have many potential commercial applications in medical care and food packaging. Collagen fiber networks were obtained from split hides that have been processed to remove the noncollagenous materials through the hair removal and liming steps. This study focused on understanding the effects of processing steps such as bating and crosslinking treatments on the morphology and physical properties of biobased films from un-tanned hides. Results showed that the concentration of collagen solution and the methods of crosslinking during the film formation process have significant effects on the properties of resultant films. Higher concentration of collagen and addition of crosslinkers after solidification of films yielded better mechanical properties. The results of this research are instrumental to the production of biobased films which have wide applications in either the medical field due to excellent biocompatibility or food packaging because of great mechanical properties and edibility.