Foam-like materials based on whey protein isolate

Low density materials from sustainable whey protein were fabricated through a simple, environmentally-friendly freeze-drying process. Aerogels produced solely from whey protein show poor mechanical properties, consistent with those of films produced from that biopolymer. The compressive moduli of these lamellar materials were increased by more than an order of magnitude by crosslinking, and further increased with increasing aerogel densities. Blending whey protein with alginate allowed for the production of bio-based aerogels with higher mechanical properties than those produced with whey alone, though thermal properties were slightly decreased by blending. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.