Investigation of Chemical Modification and Enzymatic Degradation of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Hemoprotein Particle Composites

Abstract

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite films with different hemp protein particles (HPP) as additives were successfully synthesized by a solution casting method. The properties of HPP-based PVA composites films were investigated. The characterizations of pure PVA and PVA composite films were performed regarding Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultra-violet (UV-Vis) to investigate the chemical properties. The formation of hydrogen bond in the PVA-HPP films, which could improve the compatibility of the two components was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy and UV-Vis analysis. The overall results showed that a higher loading of HPP into the PVA matrix improved the chemical interactions significantly. The swelling degree decreased while the water contact angle values increased as the HPP content increased.