Résumé
Advantages, types, formation, and properties of agro-polymer based materials are presented in this chapter, with emphasis for protein based materials. The structuration and rheological properties of the network depend on the material-forming technology (casting or thermoforming), the process variables (plasticizer, temperature, shear rate, etc.), and the usage conditions of the film (relative humidity, temperature). Some unique mass transport (gas selectivity, solute release) properties and their ability to be modified and controlled opens a new field of industrial application for these macromolecules in the field of edible or biodegradable "active packaging."