A sustainable zein-based adhesive for various substrates with improved adhesion and stability

Maocheng Ji , Fangyi Li , Jianyong Li , Chuanwei Zhang , Sixian Peng , Jianfeng Li , Jia Man

School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University

Journal：《INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES》

Abstract：

Biomass-based adhesives are gaining attention as environmentally friendly alternatives to toxic petroleum-based adhesives. However, biomass-based adhesives exhibit poor adhesive properties and are highly susceptible to failure in humid environments. In this study, a zein-based adhesive with high adhesive strength and good water resistance was prepared by optimizing the solvent composition and adding tannic acid. Adding 10 wt% acetic acid to an aqueous ethanol solvent increased the shear strength by 45.4 % to 3.09 MPa. Moreover, the addition of 6 wt% tannic acid improved the shear strength of the zein-based adhesive in humid environments from 0.63 to 1.58 MPa. The tannic acid-reinforced zein-based adhesive exhibited good adhesive strength in both humid and dry environments, which was maintained for 30 days on glass, and could be applied to a wide range of substrates. Moreover, the adhesive showed an antioxidant activity >94 %, excellent thermal stability, biocompatibility, and antibacterial effect. Therefore, this adhesive has great application prospects in medical, packaging, and other fields.

Keywords: Zein-based adhesive；Acetic acid；Tannic acid；Adhesive effect；Eco-friendly Download: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141813024050396