AbstractsBiology & Animal Science
Bio-plastic potential of Spirulina microalgae
| Institution: | University of Georgia |
|---|---|
| Department: | Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors |
| Degree: | MS |
| Year: | 2014 |
| Keywords: | Bio-plastic, Spirulina, Microalgae, Protein |
| Record ID: | 2029225 |
| Full text PDF: | http://purl.galileo.usg.edu/uga_etd/wang_kun_201405_ms |
Abstract
Spirulina (SP) alga biomass was used to make bio-plastics using compression molding. Plasticization using Ethylene Glycol (EG), blending with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE), and compatibilization using polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) with the Spirulina biomass of proper composition were tried to develop better performance bio-plastics than those made of 100% Spirulina biomass. Activated carbon, as a scavenger, can effectively absorb unpleasant odors from algae bio-plastics. Proteins were extracted from Spirulina. The protein content was determined by bcinchoninic acid (BCA) test assay, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was used to obtain the approximate molecular weight. Spirulina and its extracted protein show good potentials of developing bio-plastics.
