Preparation and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/chitosan composite films using acetic acid as a solvent

Evaluation of Chemical and Biological Properties of Biodegradable Composites Based on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and Chitosan

“…This study is a logical extension of our previous work, which focused on the development and investigation of the thermal, mechanical, and physicochemical properties of PHB and chitosan films [ 45 ]. Detailed analyses of the structure and main properties of these materials, with the exception of the viscoelastic and biological properties, were performed by us in this previous study and will not be repeated in the current article.…”

“…Our previous research has shown that the mechanical properties of the films did not differ significantly. However, during biodegradation, chitosan affected the crystal structure of the composite [ 45 ]. Therefore, the inclusion of chitosan resulted in a reduced degree of crystallinity from 59% for PHB in acetic acid to 24% for PHB in the PHB:CTS 1:1 composite.…”

“…PHB and chitosan-based composite films were prepared according to our previously described methodology [ 45 ]. Briefly, glacial acetic acid was used as the solvent for PHB.…”

“…Statistical analysis was conducted using OriginPro 2016 software (OriginLab Corporation, Northampton, MA, USA) with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student’s t -test at a significance level of p < 0.05. The data presented in the tables and figures are expressed as ± SD unless otherwise specified [ 45 ].…”

“…In a previous study [ 45 ], we modified and simplified the method of preparing PHB blends with chitosan by using acetic acid as a solvent for both polymers. This resulted in a series of composites with chitosan contents ranging from 4.8% (wt.)…”