Abstract
AbstractThis research evaluated a value‐added use of pennycress protein by producing films and determining their properties. Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) grows over the winter months, and is harvested in the spring. Pennycress seeds have high oil content and are a good candidate for biodiesel production. In order to extract the most value from pennycress, all parts of the seed must be utilized. An improved pilot‐plant method for extracting protein from pennycress was developed providing a pennycress protein isolate (PPI) in high yield and purity (92% crude protein). Formic acid was found to be a good solvent for PPI and was used to produce transparent colored films. Glycerol (GLY) was found to be a good plasticizer for PPI, and films having between 10 and 30% GLY were produced. Higher GLY content resulted in films with an increase in elongation (up to 194%) but reduced tensile strength (TS) (from 21.8 to 3.2 MPa). With increasing relative humidity (RH), TS decreased and elongation increased. The glass transition temperature and heat deflection temperature for select PPI films were between 75–115 and 93–117 °C, respectively. The films had relatively low water vapor and oxygen permeability. The overall balance of properties suggests that PPI films may have value in film applications, especially in composites where exposure to moisture may be minimized.
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