Collagen glass transition temperature

Andronikashvili et al. (1979) measured the heat capacity of collagen at 0 and 0.4 h, from 4 to 320 K. Neither sample showed an ice-liquid water phase transition. The anhydrous sample showed a smooth increase in heat capacity with temperature. The hydrated sample showed a discontinuity at 120 K, apparently associated with an order—disorder transition, perhaps a glass transition, above which there was a 10-fold stronger dependence of the heat capacity on temperature. 

The interesting feature of all these results is that the lower transition temperature observed T, after glass transition) is very close to To for dilute solutions of the same collagen where these have been measured. Thus, and Td for mammalian collagens (rat, beef) occur between 35 and 40°C. 

---