Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.83, No.5, 949-955, 2002
Study on physical properties of blend films from gelatin and polyacrylamide solutions
Blend films of gelatin and polyacrylamide (PAAm) were prepared by casting the mixed aqueous solutions of both samples in different ratios. All blend films obtained are optically clear to the naked eye. The structure and physical properties of the films were studied by FT-infrared (FTIR), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results show that the blend films exhibit the higher thermal stability and improved mechanical properties of both tensile strength and elongation at break in dry states, which suggests the occurrence of interaction detected by FTIR between gelatin, PAAm, and water molecules in the films. The morphological transition of the blend films from gelatin-like to PAAm-like was observed by SEM. Furthermore, moisture content and water swelling property of the blend films were also investigated, which was consistent with the results from SEM.