Preparation and properties of chitosan/cellulose triacetate membrane for food packaging

Abstract

In this study, cellulose was isolated from corn husks and used to synthesise cellulose triacetate (CTA) derivatives with an acetylation degree of approximately 40% and a substitution degree (DS) of around 2.5. Subsequently, CTA was utilised in varying proportions, ranging from 0.1 to 0.5, in a chitosan (CTS) solution to synthesise CTSCTA membranes. The characteristics of this bio-based material were evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and several experiments including moisture content, optical transmittance, water solubility, and tensile strength. The results indicated that the optical transmittance and tensile strength were gained at a CTS-CTA mass ratio of 1.6/0.3. In terms of moisture content and water solubility, the ratio of 1.6/0.5 yielded the best results compared to other ratios. Overall, the composite membrane with a ratio of 1.6/0.3 was identified as the most suitable across all criteria, with a biodegradation rate in soil reaching 32.7% after 15 days.