Influence of processing temperature on the water vapour transport properties of wheat gluten based agromaterials

The influence of processing conditions (thermoforming temperature) on water vapour transport properties (permeability, sorption and diffusion) of wheat gluten-based films was studied in relation to structural properties (cross-linking degree of the wheat gluten matrix). Increasing temperature from 80 °C to 120 °C led to a significant decrease in material swelling in high moisture environment and a WVP reduction mainly due to a decrease in diffusivity but without important effect on the moisture sorption isotherms. This was attributed to a higher cross-linking degree of protein network for film thermoformed at 120 °C, with a limited mobility and less possibilities of rearrangement in high moisture conditions.