Biobased Films Prepared from Collagen Solutions Derived from Un-tanned Hides

Abstract

The U.S. hide and leather industries are facing challenges of meeting environmental imperatives; quantifying, maintaining, and improving current hides and leather product quality; developing new processes and products; and improving utilization of waste. One of our contributions to address these ongoing challenges is to develop innovative uses and novel biobased products from hides to improve prospective markets and to secure a viable future for hides and leather industries. We had previously investigated the production of nonwoven and green composites from collagen fiber networks, which were extracted from un-tanned hides and from tannery solid wastes, such as splits or trimmings. Recently, we focused on preparing biobased films from un-tanned; specifically limed hides, which have potential commercial applications in medical care and food packaging. Collagen fiber networks were obtained from hides that have been processed to remove the noncollagenous materials through the hair removal and liming steps. We also 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 with glutaraldehyde during the film formation process have significant effects on the properties of resultant films. Higher concentrations of collagen and addition of glutaraldehyde crosslinkers after solidification of the films yielded better mechanical properties. The encouraging results of this ongoing research are instrumental to produce biobased films, which have wide applications in both the medical field due to good biocompatibility and for food packaging because of excellent mechanical properties and acceptable edibility.