Preparation and characterization of chitosan/carboxymethylated konjac glucomannan blend films

Abstract

In order to improve the mechanical and water swelling properties of the chitosan (CS) film, a series of transparent films were prepared by blending 2% (weight) chitosan acetic acid solution with 1.5% (weight) carboxymethylated konjac glucomannan (CMKGM) aqueous solution according to predetermined ratio and drying at 30°C. The morphological structure, miscibility, thermal stability, mechanical properies, and swelling capacity of the blend films were studied by infrared (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron micrograph (SEM), and measurements of the mechanical properties and swelling properties. The results demonstrated that there was strong interaction and good miscibility between CS and CMKGM resulted from intermolecular hydrogen bonding and electrostatic force. The mechanical properties in dry state and wet state, thermostability, and water swelling properties of the blend films were obviously improved. The best values of the tensile strength in the dry and wet state achieved 89 MPa and 49 MPa, respectively, when the CMKGM content was 30% (weight). The CS/ CMKGM blend films provided promising biomedical applications.