FUNCTIONAL PROTEIN RAW MATERIAL

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the subject raw material capable of imparting an excellent moisture-absorbing or releasing property to a base material such as a synthetic resin or chemical fibers and useful as a modifying material for synthetic resins, etc., by dissolving or dispersing a protein in an aqueous solvent, adjusting the solution or dispersion to an acidic side, and subsequently crosslinking the dissolved or dispersed protein with a specific compound. SOLUTION: This raw material is obtained by dissolving or dispersing (A) a protein such as a protein having free amino groups or its decomposition products, namely peptides, in water or its mixture with an organic solvent (e.g. ethanol or dimethylformamide), adjusting the solution or dispersion to an acidic side, and subsequently mixing the solution or dispersion with (C) a crosslinking functional group- or polymerizing functional group-bearing compound (e.g. a compound having isocyanate groups, carbonyl groups, epoxy groups or polymerizable double bonds) to crosslink the component A with the component C.