Abstract

A transamidification reaction was utilized to prepare low molecular polypolypeptides from chicken feathers and the transamidified polypeptides were subsequently acylated with maleic anhydride and co-polymerized with acrylic acid to form graft co-polymerized polypeptides. The reactions were confirmed by GPC, DSC and IR spectra. The effect of the resultant product on dyestuff exhaustion and physical properties of crust was investigated by applying it to goatskin wet-blues. The results show that under the conditions prescribed the transamidification predominantly gives rise to two fractions of polypeptides which correspond to number-average molecular weight 1698Da and 752Da, and the maleylation introduces 1.90-2.05mol of maleyl groups per kilogram into the transamidified polypeptides The co-polymerization gives rise to four fractions of the graft copolymerized polypeptides which correspond to number-average molecular weights 9583Da, 3105Da, 1945Da and 823Da. Retanning with the graft copolymerized polypeptides results in an improvement in the strength and extensions of the crust and does not cause any obvious reduction in dyestuff exhaustion.