Development and Optimization of Wheat Gluten-Based Adhesive Sealant for Eco-Friendly Construction

In recent years, there has been a growing concern over the environmental impact of conventional
construction methods. As a result, there has been a surge in interest in eco-friendly alternatives to traditional
building materials and methods. One such area of focus is the development and optimization of wheat gluten-
based adhesive sealants for use in construction. In this paper, we will explore the formulation and properties
of wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants and their potential as a sustainable alternative to traditional
adhesives. Specifically, we will examine the key components of these sealants, the impact of formulation on
adhesive properties, and the environmental benefits of using wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants in
construction. By doing so, we hope to contribute to the ongoing efforts to promote sustainable construction
practices and mitigate the environmental impact of the construction industry.

Formulation and Properties of Wheat Gluten-Based Adhesive Sealant

What are the key components of the wheat gluten-based adhesive sealant?

The wheat gluten-based adhesive sealant is composed of gluten protein chains, which have adhesive
properties. However, the insolubility and high viscosity of gluten make it difficult to handle. This can be
improved by enzymatic or chemical hydrolysis or chemical modification, which dissolves gluten and lowers the
viscosity of the gluten solution. The adhesive solution is obtained through reduction and dissolution of the
wheat gluten. Reducing agents can be used to reduce the gluten before, during, or after subjecting it to high
shearing stresses, and breaking down disulphide bridges in the gluten is necessary to lower the viscosity of the
adhesive solution. The resulting solution can be dried to create a hot-melt adhesive. Cross-linking of reduction-
cleaved subunits of gluten (e.g. glutenin) can optimize the viscosity of the adhesive solution. The cross-linking
creates a network which makes the solution viscous again. The adhesive solution still has good adhesive
properties even after reduction. The key components of the wheat gluten-based adhesive sealant are the
gluten protein chains, which must be unfolded to expose the adhesive portions. Short pressing times are
required to achieve the desired result. Wheat gluten films can be used as a sealant and glycerol can be added
to enhance their seal strength. The presence of glycerol adhesive has a beneficial effect on the peel strength
of wheat gluten films. Moreover, increasing mold temperature can increase the lap-shear strength of wheat
gluten films, which is similar to or greater than that of polyethylene film.

How does the formulation of the adhesive sealant impact its adhesive properties?

Wheat gluten has been identified as a promising raw material for developing eco-friendly adhesive sealants.
Gluten, a protein-based material, is a feasible alternative to petroleum-based adhesives and has a positive
impact on the environment. The adhesive properties of wheat gluten-based sealants depend on the
formulation and application method. In one study, gluten was unfolded to expose its adhesive parts, and the
glue was obtained through this method. The performance of glutenin and gliadin, two types of wheat gluten
proteins, as wood adhesives was assessed, and it was observed that the choice of application impacted the
observed differences in performance. Flexible, strength-improved, and crack-resistant bio composites were
developed using plasticized wheat gluten reinforced with a flax-fiber-weave. The mechanical and water-
resistant properties of coatings and films can be improved through wheat gluten modification and
combinations of other materials. Additionally, the impulse heat-sealing properties of wheat gluten films were
found to be readily sealable, with lap-shear strength observed at 120°C sealing temperature without glycerol
as an adhesive. Overall, the adhesive properties of wheat gluten-based sealants are influenced by the
formulation and processing techniques used in their development.

What are the environmental benefits of using wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants in construction?

Wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants offer various environmental benefits when used in construction. First,
protein-based adhesives provide a sustainable solution to indoor air quality and formaldehyde exposure
concerns. They can significantly diminish emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde
when replacing synthetic adhesives currently used in the wood industry. Additionally, these adhesives are
made from by-products of industries such as human and animal nutrition, which ensures they do not compete
with food sources. Furthermore, all the raw materials used in wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants are
renewable and readily available. These materials can provide adhesives that are much more sustainable than
formaldehyde-based counterparts in the long term. Moreover, wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants do not
rely on petroleum resources, making them independent from such finite resources. The environmental
footprint of wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants is also beneficial, as they are made from renewable sources
and have lower emissions than synthetic adhesives [8]. In conclusion, protein-based materials like wheat
gluten-based adhesive sealants offer numerous environmental benefits, making them a viable alternative to
synthetic adhesives in construction and other industries.
The development and optimization of wheat gluten-based adhesive sealant for eco-friendly construction
offers numerous benefits over traditional synthetic adhesives. The use of gluten protein chains as the main
component of the adhesive solution provides excellent adhesive properties, but the high viscosity and
insolubility of gluten make it challenging to handle. However, the solution can be improved through enzymatic
or chemical hydrolysis or chemical modification, which dissolves gluten and lowers the viscosity of the gluten
solution. The renewable and readily available raw materials used in wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants
make them independent from petroleum resources, contributing to environmental sustainability. Despite the
reduction in adhesive properties of the solution, it still performs well after modification. The adhesive
properties of wheat gluten-based sealants depend on the formulation and application method, highlighting
the need for further research to optimize the manufacturing process and application methods. In conclusion,
the use of protein-based materials like wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants offers numerous environmental
benefits, making them a viable alternative to synthetic adhesives in construction and other industries.
However, further research is needed to optimize the formulation and application methods of wheat gluten-
based adhesive sealants to maximize their potential as eco-friendly adhesives.
Introduction

Wood adhesives play an important role in the production of artificial wood products. Today's widely used
wood adhesives still take formaldehyde as the raw material, typical of urea-formaldehyde resin adhesives,
phenolic resin adhesives and melamine adhesives (Jeong and Park, 2018). “Trialdehyde adhesive” with its
good performance and low price occupies a large share of the wood adhesive market (Kim, 2009). However, in
view of the lack of petroleum resources, “Trialdehyde glue” releases toxic and harmful gases such as
formaldehyde in the using process, which causes different degrees of harm to the environment and human
body and other problems (Sofuoglu et al., 2011). With the rapid development of artificial plywood industry,
the demand for wood adhesives is increasing. It is urgent to develop environment-friendly and high-
performance adhesives to gradually replace “Trialdehyde adhesive”.

Based on the renewable resources, such as protein, starch (Chen et al., 2020), tannin (Engozogho Anris et al.,
2020) and lignin (Chen et al., 2021), many attempts had been conducted to seek substitutes for synthetic
formaldehyde. Considering the supply of biomass resources and economic benefits, many scholars were
increasingly interested in plant protein-based adhesives and made a number of previous studies, including
adhesives based on soy (Yuan et al., 2017), cotton (Cheng et al., 2017), peanut (Chen et al., 2019) and sesame
proteins (Wei et al., 2017). Nevertheless, there were few researches on wheat gluten-based adhesives.

Wheat gluten (WG), a by-product of wheat starch industry and mainly used in feed industry and food additive
(Gulia and Khatkar, 2014), is a relatively inexpensive and safely edible source of plant protein. The water-
insoluble characteristics (Sapirstein and Fu, 1998) of WG resulting from a high proportion of hydrophobic
amino acids, complex molecular composition and structure features, greatly limit its application in the high
value-added industries. Many scholars had used physical (Zhang et al., 2020), chemical (Liao et al., 2016) and
enzymatic modifications (Both et al., 2019) and other technologies to modify WG, so as to enhance the in-
depth utilization. The development of WG to produce wood adhesives is one of the most attractive way to
convert WG into value-added products (Ma et al., 2019). The three-dimensional network structure of WG
gives it good viscoelasticity, ductility and film-forming properties, which is suitable for the preparation of plant
protein-based adhesives. However, the adhesives directly produced from plant proteins generally have poor
water resistance and low bonding strength (Nordqvist et al., 2010), which is difficult to meet the requirements
of use. In order to solve the performance defects, it is very necessary to modify WG to enhance its
hydrophobicity, bonding performance and water resistance, so as to meet the requirements of national
standard Ⅱ kind of plywood (Chen et al., 2019).

Ethanol can lead to protein denaturation, but also has the properties of surfactant. Proper concentration of
ethanol can change the conformation of proteins and unfold their structures, exposing hydrophobic amino
acids and protein active groups buried inside the stacked proteins (Peng et al., 2020). At the same time, the
reactive group of IPDI can be cross-linked with the active group in the protein to form a dense three-
dimensional network structure, which changes the structure of the original protein and is not easy to be
damaged by external conditions, thus improving the gluing property, shear resistance and water resistance of
wheat gluten-based adhesive. As discussed above, the aim of the current research was to determine the water
resistance, viscosity and solid content of the WG based adhesive modified by Ethanol and IPDI. Further,
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron
microscope (SEM) analysis methods were employed to elucidate the internal relationship of the structure and
performance variations. The corresponding modification mechanism of improving the shear and water
resistance was emphatically discussed. This knowledge will be very helpful for the industrial production and
application of WG based adhesives.
Significance of the Study

The study on adhesive sealants based on wheat gluten is important from a variety of angles, including the
technological, economic, and environmental ones. This study project is primarily focused on the pressing need
for sustainable substitutes for petroleum-based goods, especially in sectors where adhesives are essential.
Reduced dependency on limited fossil fuels and less environmental impact from adhesive production
processes are achieved by using wheat gluten-based sealants, which provide a renewable and biodegradable
solution from an easily obtained agricultural waste. Researchers may add significant insights to the larger
conversation on sustainable materials and circular economy practices by examining the composition,
effectiveness, and environmental effects of these sealants.

From an economic standpoint, research on adhesive sealants based on wheat gluten has a lot of potential to
spur innovation and open up new markets. The global industry's growing emphasis on sustainability and
environmental responsibility is driving up demand for environmentally suitable substitutes. Businesses may
expand their product portfolios and capitalize on a burgeoning market sector by creating and distributing
sealants based on wheat gluten. Moreover, agricultural communities have the chance to improve the value
proposition of their commodities and create new revenue streams by using wheat gluten. The interplay
between the agricultural and industrial domains highlights the transformational capacity of adhesive sealants
derived from wheat gluten in promoting rural development and economic progress.

Technologically, the research of wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants has the potential to advance materials
science and adhesive engineering. Through the clarification of the molecular structure, rheological
characteristics, and bonding processes of formulations based on wheat gluten, scientists can explore novel
approaches to augmenting the efficacy and adaptability of these sealants. Enhancing adhesion strength,
durability, or chemical resistance are just a few of the many areas in this industry that provide opportunities
for innovation and improvement. Researchers can also overcome technical obstacles and streamline
manufacturing processes by investigating innovative processing methods and additive formulations. This will
open the door for the manufacture of wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants on a large scale and their broad
acceptance in a variety of sectors.

Furthermore, research on wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants has the potential to revolutionize materials
science and adhesive technology. Through clarifying the chemical composition, bonding processes, and
performance attributes of formulations derived from wheat gluten, scientists can contribute to the
development of next-generation sealants that possess improved qualities and capabilities. This emerging
sector offers many opportunities for innovation and optimization, from enhancing adhesion strength and
durability to maximizing cure periods and compatibility with various substrates. Moreover, researchers may
promote the broad use of wheat gluten-based adhesive sealants in a variety of industries, from consumer
products and packaging to automotive and construction, by resolving technical issues and streamlining
production procedures. In essence, this project is a pioneering endeavor to capitalize on agricultural resources'
intrinsic potential for long-term innovation and social benefit.