Researches Concerning Chemical Modifications of Hair Keratin

The work presents chemical procedures used to obtain a film or a hydrogel after hydrolyze treatment of hair at the temperature of 150 degrees C and the pressure of 4.9 atm. In order to obtain the hydrogel, this treatment is followed by a stage of oxidation with hydrogen peroxide, and a stage of reduction with Na2S2O4 or, in another variant, a stage of oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and a treatment with NaOH in alcoholic medium, to form natrium cationic groups. The protein chains with sulphonic groups and natrium cations determine opposite electrostatic interactions, with the formation of a polymer loop that incorporate water. The evaluation of formed hydrogel was carried out by determining the swelling degree. We have used optical and SEM photomicrographs to determine morphological organization, and EDAX micropictures for chemical modifications. A cellulose film realized by growing Gluconoacetobacter xylinus bacteria was used as control sample.