Electrospinning of polyamide 6/modified-keratin blends

Abstract: Protein material resulting from chemical free steam explosion of wool was mixed in different proportion with polyamide 6 in formic acid. The viscosity of the blend solutions decreases with the increase of the protein amount in the blend. Nanofibres produced by electrospinning of these polymer blends show an increase of the filament diameters with increasing protein amounts, except for the 30/ 70 v/ v polyamide 6/ protein blend, where nanofibres with '' beads '' defects were produced. In blend films produced by casting, polyamide 6 crystallize in the form of large spherulites prevalently in the a crystalline structure, while protein is totally amorphous and tends to segregate in the course of drying at room temperature. Otherwise, in electrospun nanofibres polyamide 6 and protein show a better miscibility as suggested by spectroscopic and thermal analysis and polyamide 6 shows a higher thermal stability. Moisture regain and water solubility of blend cast films and electrospun nanofibres respectively were also determined.