Method of reinforcement for keratin materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12049026-B2
Application number	US-202117478279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2021
Priority date	Sep 17, 2020
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

A method for preparing keratin-based composites includes mixing polysaccharide nanoparticles and a keratin solution to form a nanoparticle-keratin solution; and solvent casting the nanoparticle-keratin solution to form the keratin-based composites.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for preparing keratin-based composites, comprising:
(i) mixing polysaccharide nanoparticles and a keratin solution to form a nanoparticle-keratin solution,
wherein the polysaccharide nanoparticles are partially deacetylated chitin nanoparticles; and
(ii) solvent casting the nanoparticle-keratin solution to form the keratin-based composites.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of nanoparticles in the keratin is from about 1% to about 5%.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polysaccharide nanoparticles have an average particle size of about 50 nm to about 500 nm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chitin nanoparticles have a degree of deacetylation about 5% to about 60%.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chitin nanoparticles are prepared by a process comprising:
treating chitin with an acid to form an acid hydrolyzed chitin; and
treating the acid hydrolyzed chitin with an alkali solution.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the acid comprises hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the alkali solution comprises sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the keratin solution has a concentration of from about 5% to about 15% keratin.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the keratin solution is an aqueous solution.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the keratin solution comprises a reducing agent.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the reducing agent comprises one or more thiol groups.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reducing agent comprises mercaptoethanol, cysteine, dithiothreitol, 1,2-ethanedithiol, 1,3-benzenedithiol, bis(2-mercaptoethyl) ether, ethylene glycol bisthioglycolate, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the keratin solution is prepared by a method comprising:
extracting keratin from a keratinous material to form extracted keratin; and
dissolving the extracted keratin in an aqueous solution comprising a reducing agent to form the keratin solution.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the keratinous material comprises animal hair, horn, feather, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the feather comprises a duck feather, a goose feather, a chicken feather, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the animal hair comprises wool, camel hair, alpaca hair, rabbit hair, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pH of the aqueous solution is maintained between pH 8 and pH 10.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein an n value of keratin in the nanoparticle-keratin solution is identical to or higher than an n value of an analogous keratin solution without the nanoparticles.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the keratin-based composites.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the composites are heated at a temperature of from about 45° C. to about 55° C. for a time of about 1.5 h to about 3 h.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the composites is from about 50 micrometers to about 200 micrometers.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composites are fibers having a diameter of about 15 micrometers.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composites comprise at least about 80% keratin.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein a degree of crystallinity of the composites is higher than a degree of crystallinity of analogous composites without the nanoparticles.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein a breaking stress of the composites is higher than a breaking stress of analogous composites without the nanoparticles.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein a breaking strain of the composites is higher than a breaking strain of analogous composites without the nanoparticles.

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composites have a breaking stress of about 15 MPa to about 40 MPa.

28. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composites have a breaking strain of about 15% to about 50%.

29. Keratin-based composites prepared by the method of claim 1 .

30. The method of claim 1 , wherein the keratin solution is prepared by a method comprising dissolving keratin in an aqueous solution; and
the keratin solution has a concentration of about 5% to about 20% keratin.

31. The method of claim 19 , wherein the heating forms amide crosslinkages between amino groups of the nanoparticle and carboxyl groups of the keratin.

32. The method of claim 1 , wherein the partially deacetylated chitin nanoparticles are prepared by controlled deacetylation.

Assignees

• Nutech Ventures

Inventors

• Yang Yiqi
• Mu Bingnan

Classifications

• C08K2201/005

  Additives being defined by their particle size in general · CPC title

• C08L2201/54

  Aqueous solutions or dispersions · CPC title

• C08L2203/12

  used for fibers · CPC title

• B29K2105/251

  Particles, powder or granules (expandable particles B29K2105/046) · CPC title

• B29K2089/00

  Use of proteins, e.g. casein, gelatine or derivatives thereof, as moulding material · CPC title