Preparation and characterization of hexanoyl chitosan/polycaprolactone blend films

Abstract

Hexanoyl chitosan (H-chitosan) was prepared and blended with polycaprolactone (PCL) at various blend compositions. Films of the blends were prepared by solution casting technique using chloroform as a solvent. Permeability studies of the films showed that the oxygen barrier property of PCL films increased by blending with H-chitosan. Results from mechanical tests performed on the films showed that H-chitosan could be blended with up to 30% PCL with only a slight decrease in tensile strength compared with pure H-chitosan. Small particle size and good dispersion of PCL in the H-chitosan matrix were observed from scanning electron micrographs. On the other hand, the elongation at break of PCL films increased with lowering H-chitosan content. The thermal properties and crystalline structure of PCL were not altered by blending with H-chitosan. Interactions between H-chitosan and PCL in the blend films could not be detected by FT-IR and therefore are presumed to be quite weak.