Protein polyurethane alloys and layered materials including the same

Abstract

Protein polyurethane alloys including one or more proteins dissolved within one or more polyurethanes. The protein polyurethane alloy may have one or more mechanical properties that are superior to the polyurethane in the absence of protein. The protein polyurethane alloys may be incorporated into a layered material including one or more protein polyurethane alloy layers.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A soy protein polyurethane alloy, comprising a soy protein dissolved within a polyurethane, wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) tan(δ) peak at a temperature ranging from about −60° C. to about 30° C. and a second DMA modulus transition onset temperature ranging from about 130° C. to about 200° C. 
     
     
         31 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy is transparent. 
     
     
         32 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the polyurethane has a Young's modulus in the absence of soy protein, and wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a Young's modulus ranging from about 60% to about 570% greater than the Young's modulus of the polyurethane in the absence of soy protein. 
     
     
         33 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the polyurethane has a Young's modulus in the absence of soy protein, and wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a Young's modulus ranging from about 35 MPa to about 340 MPa greater than the Young's modulus of the polyurethane in the absence of soy protein. 
     
     
         34 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a Young's modulus ranging from about 90 MPa to about 400 MPa. 
     
     
         35 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the polyurethane has a second DMA modulus transition onset temperature in the absence of soy protein, and wherein the second DMA modulus transition onset temperature of the soy protein polyurethane alloy ranges from about 15° C. to about 100° C. greater than the second DMA modulus transition onset temperature of the polyurethane in the absence of soy protein. 
     
     
         36 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the polyurethane has a tensile strength in the absence of soy protein, and wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a tensile strength ranging from about 10% to about 45% greater than the tensile strength of the polyurethane in the absence of soy protein. 
     
     
         37 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the polyurethane has a tensile strength in the absence of soy protein, and wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a tensile strength ranging from about 1.5 MPa to about 5.5 MPa greater than the tensile strength of the polyurethane in the absence of soy protein. 
     
     
         38 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a tensile strength ranging from about 14 MPa to about 19 MPa. 
     
     
         39 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , comprising about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % of the soy protein and about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % of the polyurethane. 
     
     
         40 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , comprising about 20 wt % to about 35 wt % of the soy protein and about 65 wt % to about 80 wt % of the polyurethane. 
     
     
         41 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the polyurethane has a moisture vapor transmission rate in the absence of protein, and wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a moisture vapor transmission rate ranging from about 20% to about 600% greater than the moisture vapor transmission rate of the polyurethane in the absence of protein. 
     
     
         42 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the polyurethane has a moisture vapor transmission rate in the absence of protein, and wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a moisture vapor transmission rate ranging from about 30 g/m 2 /24 hr to about 500 g/m 2 /24 hr greater than the moisture vapor transmission rate of the polyurethane in the absence of protein. 
     
     
         43 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the soy protein polyurethane alloy has a moisture vapor transmission rate ranging from about 30 g/m 2 /24 hr to about 1000 g/m 2 /24 hr. 
     
     
         44 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the soy protein is soy protein isolate. 
     
     
         45 . The soy protein polyurethane alloy of  claim 30 , wherein the soy protein is a chemically modified soy protein isolate.