Abstract

Preparation, Properties Of Chitosan/Nylon 6 Blending Membranes

Author(s): Kuo-Shien Huang, Jeng-Shiann Cheng, Chun-Wu Chiang

This article deals with several blendings of chitosan and nylon 6 by various ratios and the effects of the ratio on the properties of the resulting blending membranes. Through the help of a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a fourier spectrophotometer (FT-IR), a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), an X-ray diffraction instrument, a weight loss analyzer (TGA), a tensile test machine, a polarizing microscope, and a degradation test, we found that mixes of the two polymers are not compatible in the non-crystalline region, but there is a certain extent of reaction going on between them in the crystalline region causing an even distribution. The addition of a small amount of nylon 6 appears quite helpful to the strength and heat stability of chitosan, but the blending membranes are not that different from the membrane of pure chitosan when their degradation properties are compared. Furthermore, when nylon 6 is added, it seems to cause the molecular chain inside chitosan to become more rigid, thus enhancing its heat stability. However, when the ratio reaches beyond 60%, serious phase separation take place.