Effect of Drying Temperature on Performance of Soybean Protein-Isolate/Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Stearic Acid Composite Films

Drying is important for the matrix formation of composite films. A low drying temperature guarantees the compact matrix, while a higher temperature strengthens the crosslinking of ingredients. A balance point of the compact matrix and higher crosslinking degree was the key to enhance the performance of a composite film. The temperature of 30, 60, 90, and 120 oC was used to dry the soybean protein-isolate/carboxymethyl cellulose/stearic acid composite films. When being dried at 90 oC, the tensile strength of the composite films was 2.63 times higher than that of the control, and the water vapor permeability of the composite films was 77.6 % of that of the control. Hence the temperature of 90 oC was the balance point of the composite films.