Green composites and blends from leather industry waste

Blends based on protein hydrolysate (PH), derived from waste products of the leather industry, and poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA), were obtained by reactive blending and their physico-chemical properties as well as their mechanical and rheological behavior were evaluated. The effect of vinyl acetate content and of a transesterification agent added to increase interaction between polymer and bio-based components were investigated. Novel biodegradable polymeric materials for spray mulching coatings were also obtained from hydrolyzed proteins and endfunctionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which was used as crosslinking agent. These products, almost entirely obtained from renewable sources, represent a new type of biodegradable material which looks promising for several applications, for instance in packaging or in agriculture as transplanting or mulching films with additional fertilizing action of PH.