Processing and nanomechanical properties of chitosan/polyethylene oxide blend films

Abstract

Chitosan based films have found an increasing implementation in variety of topics among which as drug delivery carriers, in packaging industry and as water puritication filters. Therefore, in order to achieve mechanical integrity of such films while preserving processability and biocompatibility, chitosan based films are fabricated in forms of blends with polyethylene oxide (PEO). Nanoindentation study is undertaken in order to investigate nanomechanical properties and surface morphology of chitosan films in blends with various content of PEO. Results of differential scanning calorimetry, water uptake and nanoindentation revealed that films with 80/20 blend ratio of chitosan/PEO showed the optimal values of reduced modulus and hardness. It appears that the incorporation of synthetic PEO in chitosan films could lower the manufacturing cost while preserving the mechanical integrity of the films. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. EUREKA E!5851]

Keywords

• chitosan
• polyethylene oxide
• polymer blend film
• nanoindentation