Biodegradable Blends From Plasticized Soy Meal, Polycaprolactone, and Poly(butylene succinate)

A synergistic effect of simultaneous plasticization and destructurization of soy protein in melt extrusion is studied using soy meal, glycerol, and urea. The combined effect of plasticization and destructurization yields thermoplastic soy meal (TSM) that is capable of chemical interactions with biodegradable polyesters. Melt‐compounded blends of TSM with biodegradable polyesters give new ductile bioplastics. The observed improvement in the properties of these blends might be due to two reason; the high elasticity of the destructured soy meal and the compatibility between the polyesters used. The synergistic effect of unfolding and destructurization of the protein by urea leads to high mobility in the protein chains of the soy meal. magnified image