Title:Blends Containing Amphiphilic Biopolymers and their Compatibility
Behavior
Volume: 19
Issue: 3
Author(s): Cristian Castro*, Ligia Gargallo and Deodato Radić
Affiliation:
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Tarapacá, Av. General Velásquez 1775, Arica, Chile
Keywords:
Amphiphilic biopolymers, compatibility behavior, biopolymers, chitosan, alginate, negative mixing heat.
Abstract: Abstract: This mini-review deals with the miscibility behaviour of two biopolymers, chitosan and
alginate. It is well known that the miscibility in multifunctional polymer blends is favoured due to
specific interactions, which origin a negative heat of mixing. Particular interest is focused on functionalized
polymers because they are the most suitable way to obtain interacting polymers, producing
a single-phase material. Due to the polyfunctionality of chitosan (CS) and other biopolymers, they can
be taken into account as a basis of a strongly interacting polymer. They would allow obtaining compatible
polymeric materials. For this reason, blends containing CS with different vinyl polymers have
been studied. The most significant polymeric blends with these natural polymers will be analyzed in
this review. Chitosan is obtained from the biopolymer chitin through sequential processes of demineralization,
deproteinization and deacetylation. The native chitin is obtained by direct separation from
the marine crustaceans’ shell, which is abundant on the sea coasts. Some classic results that relate to
the polymeric blends containing amphiphilic polymers will be discussed. Another biopolymer of the
coast is Sodium Alginate (SA). Alginate also allows the formation of compatible polymer blends.
Results in this regard will also be analyzed in this review.