Effect of layered silicate on morphology and thermal properties of chitosan films

Full text: To obtain biopolymers capable of competing with the polymer for general use (commodities) there is a significant need for improvement in their properties including thermal stability. Currently, the technology for obtaining polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites has proved a good alternative to provide significant improvement in various properties of the polymers [1]. This study aims to evaluate the effect of layered silicate on morphology and thermal properties of chitosan/layered silicate films by solution in the 5:1 and 10:1 proportions, respectively. The CS/AN films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG). The results showed that CS/AN bionanocomposites in the 5:1 and 10:1 proportions with intercalated morphology were obtained. It was also observed that the incorporation of different amounts of chitosan biopolymer caused significant changes in the melting temperatures of bionanocomposites compared to pure CS. TG results evinced that bionanocomposites with higher thermal stability were obtained when 5:1 of CS/AN was employed. Reference: [1] Wang, S. F., Shen, L., Tong, Y. J., Chen, L., Phang, I. Y., Lim, P. Q. Biopolymer chitosan/montmorillonite nanocomposites: preparation and characterization. Polym Degrad Stab, V. 90, p. 123-31, 2005. (author)