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Effect of glycerol, sunflower oil, and glucose on the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol-based films

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Abstract

This research aimed to develop films based on chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol. These films were plasticized with glycerol, sunflower oil, and glucose. Mixtures of chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol were prepared at a ratio of 1:1 (w:w). Plasticizers were added at final concentrations of 20, 40, and 60% (chitosan weight/w). Physicochemical and mechanical properties of films were analyzed. The results indicated that moisture content, degree of swelling and solubility in the films increased due to glucose and glycerol hydrophilic components. However, this effect was not observed when the sunflower oil was used as plasticizer, due to the hydrophobic nature of this compound. The thickness increased as glycerol content raised, but it decreased when the sunflower oil was added. The films tensile stress and elasticity increased with the addition of glycerol but showed opposite results when the sunflower oil and glucose were added. Water vapor permeability increased proportionally with the glycerol concentration. Finally, the films biodegradability decreased when the plasticizers’ concentration increased. Functional groups, morphology and thermal degradation were assessed by FTIR, SEM and TGA, respectively. Morphological characterization of the laminated films with glycerol and glucose showed homogeneous surface and small aggregates. Films-plasticizer with Sunflower oil presented low-uniform surface. The results obtained from this research subjects that biodegradable films are suitable candidates to be used for food coating.

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All the data presented in this research are the result of the experimental processes carried out.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the University of Cartagena, for the financial support of this work in the Eighth call for funding of research projects for research groups categorized on the Scienti de Colciencias platform, 2017, Colombia. The Department of Materials Physics-Electronic Nanomaterials Physics Research Group of the Faculty of Physical Sciences of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain.

Funding

This investigation was supported and funded by the University of Cartagena, Colombia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Investigacion en Diseño de Procesos Y Aprovechamiento de Biomasas (IDAB), Engineering Faculty, Chemical Engineering Program, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia

    Yomaris Del Carmen Hernández Berrío & Gezira De Ávila Montiel

  2. Grupo de Investigación de Modelación de Partículas Y Procesos (MPP), Engineering Faculty, Chemical Engineering Program, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia

    Álvaro Realpe Jiménez

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  1. Yomaris Del Carmen Hernández Berrío
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Correspondence to Yomaris Del Carmen Hernández Berrío.

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Hernández Berrío, Y.D., Realpe Jiménez, Á. & De Ávila Montiel, G. Effect of glycerol, sunflower oil, and glucose on the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol-based films. Polym. Bull. 79, 6389–6407 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-021-03803-w

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