The swelling and Mechanical Properties of Starch-Chitosan Films plasticized with Glycerol

Chitosan–starch blend films were prepared by casting and their mechanical properties were studied. To improve the properties of chitosan–starch films, glycerol was used. The modified films showed improvements in both tensile strength and elongation at break than the pure chitosan–starch films. The films were characterized byscanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and tensile strength analyses. The swelling studies were also performed in PBS buffer, acidic and alkaline pH media. The water uptake and biodegradability experiments revealed low water uptake (swelling) and high stability of the films in acidic and basic media