CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE CHITOSAN BLEND FILMS

Interactions between cellulose and chitosan molecules in cellulose-chitosan blend films, prepared using trifluoroacetic acid as a cosolvent for the two polysaccharides, were studied by X-ray diffraction and Raman analyses and by measurements of mechanical properties of the blend films. Crystallinity of cellulose in the blend films decreased with an increase in chitosan content. The blend films had tensile strengths of 45-100 MPa and Young's moduli of 2-7.5 GPa in dry states. These values had the maximum around 30% chitosan content in the blend films. These results suggested the presence of interactions between cellulose, chitosan, and water molecules in the films. However, Raman analysis suggested that cellulose and chitosan molecules in the blend films seemed to have the same secondary structures as those in 100% cellulose and 100% chitosan films, respectively. Thus, these results indicate the presence of interactions in the interfacial region between small domains of cellulose and chitosan. The presence of chitosan molecules may lead to decrease in the domain size of cellulose, and to increase in the interfacial region between cellulose and chitosan domains.