Use of the montmorillonite as crosslink agents for chitosan

The montmorillonite (the main constituent of bentonite) has been the most commonly used inorganic load in the formation of nanocomposites chitosan / layered silicate. To evaluate its effect as an agent for the reticulation of chitosan, a sodium montmorillonite, Cloisite Na+, supplied by Southern Clay Products, Texas, USA, was used. For the reticulation of chitosan dispersions of chitosan / Cloisite Na+ were prepared in different proportions and the obtained films characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The results indicated that the Cloisite Na+ was for efficient and the reticulation of the chitosan and can be used in place of sulfuric acid, which is one of the most common reticulants for chitosan. (author)