Mechanical and Barrier Properties of Edible Corn and Wheat Protein Films

Published methods for production of homogeneous edible films from com and wheat proteins were adapted. Barrier and mechanical properties of the edible films were evaluated with procedures commonly used on polymeric films. Mechanical property data included thickness, elongation, tensile strength, tear strength, and burst strength measurements. Barrier property data included water vapor, oxygen, and carbon dioxide gas transmission rate measurements. Homogeneous com and wheat protein films were found to have low tensile strengths, far less than cellophane. Com films were brittle while wheat films were elastic in comparison to cellophane. All three types of film had low permeabilities for dry gases but relatively high water vapor permeabilities