Characterization of Thin Chitosan/Polyacrylamide Blend Films

Abstract

Abstract The structure and surface properties of blends containing chitosan (Ch) and partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) were analyzed by contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results of contact angle and the surface free energy revealed that HPAM films are more polar than chitosan films. In the case of Ch/HPAM blends, the values of surface free energy and polar component are reduced significantly compared with pure polymers. This behavior indicates rather hydrophobic character of this surface. The roughness of the blends increases with the increase of Ch content. This may indicates a strong interaction between the polymeric components. Keywords: chitosanpolymer blendthin filmpartially hydrolyzed polyacrylamidesurface properties