The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Conventional leather production raises concerns regarding animal ethics and environmental pollution during both manufacturing and disposal processes. Similarly, petroleum-based synthetic leathers contribute to environmental degradation due to their production methods. As a result, plant-based leather alternatives have garnered increasing attention, but these alternatives often fall short of commercial leather in terms of mechanical properties and tactile qualities. Gluten, a natural plant-derived protein from wheat, contains 3% cysteine, which can form disulfide bonds upon oxidation, resulting in a highly elastic and strong three-dimensional network. In particular, thermal and UV treatments can induce oxidative cross-linking among amino acids such as cysteine and tyrosine, modifying molecular alignment and spacing. In this study, a leather-like material was fabricated through a three-step protein denaturation process using gluten, glycerol, and water. The resulting film was quantitatively compared to natural bovine leather and PU synthetic leather in terms of mechanical properties, water resistance, and tactile feel, demonstrating high similarity to natural leather. Surface treatment with heat and UV irradiation enhanced water resistance and hydrophobicity, and newly formed oxidative cross-linked compounds were confirmed through LC-MS/MS analysis. Furthermore, a life cycle assessment (LCA) revealed that the gluten-based leather reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 12 times compared to conventional bovine leather. This study highlights a sustainable strategy for overcoming the limitations of plant-based protein materials by inducing oxidative cross-linking through purely physical treatment.