Wheat gluten gels were loaded with multi-million molecular weight polyethylene oxide for solid state lubrication applications. The wheat gluten gels were prepared by reactive blending of wheat gluten and a novel random copolymer, poly (ethyl acrylate-co-maleic anhydride), in dimethyl sulfoxide. The gels were loaded with broad molecular weight polyethylene oxide with an Mw of either two million or five million. To assess the lubrication properties, tribology and polyethylene oxide mass transfer experiments are being conducted with the loaded gels. To characterize the gels, thermal gravimetric analysis and modulated differential scanning calorimetry were performed to determine how the quantity and the molecular weight of the polyethylene oxide would affect the thermal properties of the gels. Thermal gravimetric analysis in nitrogen indicates that the degradation temperatures of both the polyethylene oxide and wheat gluten gel increase by more than 20 °C when polyethylene oxide is loaded into the gel. Qualitative observations indicate that the lubrication properties of the polyethylene oxide remain strong after loading into the gels. The synthesis method, polyethylene oxide loading procedure, and result will be presented.<br/>

Reactively blended wheat gluten gels loaded with high molecular weight polyethylene oxide

255th National Meeting (2018)

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