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Samples of canola meal (CM), a by-product of canola oil extraction, with different particle sizes and canola protein (CP) content were obtained by ball milling followed by air classification. In an effort to produce highly deformable "green" biodegradable materials, these CM samples were used to prepare CM bioplastics and their mechanical properties were characterized and compared. It was found that greater CP content led to an increase in elongation at break and a decrease in tensile strength; however, particle size of CM had no apparent impact on the tensile properties. Considering its high mechanical properties and miscibility with the CM matrix, cellulose fiber (CF) was added to the composite formulation to fabricate samples with enhanced tensile strength. The effects of fiber loading on mechanical and thermal properties were characterized using tensile testing and dynamic mechanical analysis. Marked improvements in tensile strength and modulus were found with increasing fiber content above 5 wt%, while mechanical properties were constant between fiber contents of 1-5 wt% because of the inefficient packing of the CF, indicating that the fiber content of 5 wt% is a percolation threshold to increase the mechanical property of the CM composite. The DMA results illustrate that the addition of fiber produced an increase in storage modulus and decreased damping factors for the composites with > 5 wt% CF, reflecting strong interfacial adhesion between CM and CF which resulted in a decrease in chain mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canola meal (CM), a by-product of canola oil extraction, was modified by poly (styrene-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (PSG) and could potentially be used as a sustainable natural composite. Infrared analysis indicated that PSG could efficiently react with the proteins in CM and become covalently bonded. DSC results revealed that the modified CM composites showed new glass transition temperatures ( T g ) decreasing with the introduction of PSG, which were attributed to the disruption of intermolecular association. Torque curves and melt flow index tests showed the flow property of the modified CM composites increased due to interference by PSG of the hydrogen and disulfide bonding among the protein species. DMA results showed greater amorphous character for the modified CM composites and new glassy plateaus with increased storage moduli, indicating a change in molecular structure and enhancement in mechanical property and usability below T g . Furthermore, the thermostability, the tensile strength, and the elastic moduli of the modified CM composites increased because of the formation of cross-linked proteins in the CM composites, which will potentially increase the application value in some fields, such as single-use agricultural planting containers replacing high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) containers, and food or coffee trays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase the usage value of canola meal (CM), a by-product of canola oil extraction, poly (styrene- co -maleic anhydride-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (PSMG) was prepared and used as a novel chain extender to modify CM. FTIR tests showed that cross-linking took place in the CM matrix and PSMG was covalent bonded with canola proteins; furthermore, the surface of fibers present in the CM composite was covered by proteins, attributed to the reactivity of anhydride groups on PSMG. The modified CM composites showed more apparent amorphous characteristic with the addition of PSMG, according to DSC results. DMA results suggested that cross-linked proteins could be further coupled by glycerol reacting with the anhydride groups remaining in the cross-linked proteins, and thus the storage moduli and the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of the modified CM composites increased with the addition of more PSMG. The reactions of proteins with proteins, proteins with fibers, and proteins with glycerol were further confirmed by TGA. SEM images showed that the CM matrix became much denser and the interfacial adhesion between fibers and the CM matrix was increased by the chemical modification, which also contributed to an increase in the tensile strength of the modified CM composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]