Eco-friendly artificial hair made from wheat gluten and sodium alginate

Overview

This cutting-edge solution involves the creation of artificial hair fibers using wheat gluten and sodium alginate, both natural and renewable materials. The process leverages a wet spinning technique to blend these materials into fibers that mimic the chemical and physical properties of human hair. This eco-friendly approach uses water as a solvent and natural materials, ensuring the product is non-toxic and biosafe. The resulting fibers exhibit a surface texture and hygroscopicity akin to natural hair, making them ideal for various styling and beauty treatments.

Technical specifications

The artificial hair fibers are formed by mixing wheat gluten and sodium alginate in a base solution with glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker and acid black as a dye. The mixture is wet-spun into a calcium chloride coagulation bath, which precipitates the protein and further crosslinks the alginate. This process creates strong, thermoplastic fibers with a groove surface structure. The fibers are capable of being dyed due to the amino and hydroxyl groups present in the materials, allowing for customization in color. Key features include:

• High mechanical strength due to crosslinked structures
• Eco-friendly and non-toxic fabrication process
• Similar hygroscopic properties to human hair
• Thermoplasticity for heat styling and treatment

Technology readiness level

This technology is at a TRL 4, indicating that it has been validated in a laboratory environment. Future steps include optimizing fabrication parameters and conducting thorough chemical, physical, and durability tests to ensure product reliability and performance in real-world applications.