Collagen gel for felt stiffening

[Elite Engineer]

My wife is trying to stiffen felt using a gelatinous collagen mixture for hat making (millinery). In the procedure, she makes a collagen gel (using lyophilized collagen and and hot water) and then lets it solidify in the fridge. After 24 hours of cooling and solidification, she heats the gel so it becomes liquid, and then applies the collagen solution to the felt. The felt is then molded into a shape, dries, and retains it's shape as the collagen solution dries. We're working on different concentrations to optimize rigidity on the fabric.

My question: Would enzymatically breaking down the collagen (i.e. meat tenderizer) allow us to use less gel per area of fabric? I read some protocols on researchgate regarding hydrogel and people mentioned that breaking down the collagen resulted in stiffer gels. My thought is, if we breakdown the collagen it would result in increased rigidity while requiring less gel? I ask because when we apply too much collagen solution to the fabric, it leaves a white-ish sheen. It's similar to placing a drop on glue on the material and then wiping it off, leaving a "spread out-appearance" of white residue. 

Your thoughts?

~ee

[StringJunky]

19 minutes ago, Elite Engineer said:

My wife is trying to stiffen felt using a gelatinous collagen mixture for hat making (millinery). In the procedure, she makes a collagen gel (using lyophilized collagen and and hot water) and then lets it solidify in the fridge. After 24 hours of cooling and solidification, she heats the gel so it becomes liquid, and then applies the collagen solution to the felt. The felt is then molded into a shape, dries, and retains it's shape as the collagen solution dries. We're working on different concentrations to optimize rigidity on the fabric.

My question: Would enzymatically breaking down the collagen (i.e. meat tenderizer) allow us to use less gel per area of fabric? I read some protocols on researchgate regarding hydrogel and people mentioned that breaking down the collagen resulted in stiffer gels. My thought is, if we breakdown the collagen it would result in increased rigidity while requiring less gel? I ask because when we apply too much collagen solution to the fabric, it leaves a white-ish sheen. It's similar to placing a drop on glue on the material and then wiping it off, leaving a "spread out-appearance" of white residue. 

Your thoughts?

~ee

PVA stiffener might be more free from white marks.