Solid-State Synthesis of Water-Soluble Chitosan-g-Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Copolymers

Abstract

Graft copolymers of chitosan with cellulose ether have been obtained by the solid-state reactive mixing of chitin, sodium hydroxide and hydroxyethyl cellulose under shear deformation in a pilot twin-screw extruder. The structure and composition of the products were determined by elemental analysis and IR spectroscopy. The physicochemical properties of aqueous solutions of copolymers were studied as a function of the composition, and were correlated to the mechanical characteristics of the resulting films to assess the performance of new copolymers as coating materials, non-woven fibrous materials or emulsifiers for interface stabilization during the microparticle fabrication process.

Keywords

• chitosan
• hydroxyethyl cellulose
• solid-state co-extrusion
• ftir
• elemental analysis
• rheological properties
• mechanical characteristics