Characterization of Chitosan Films Cast from Different Solvents: FTIR, Surface and Mechanical Investigations

Chitosan (CS), a modified carbohydrate polymer derived from chitin by deacetylation, has shown various applications in a variety of industries, including food, cosmetics and packaging. In this work, CS films prepared from CS dissolved in three selected solvents i.e. formic acid (FA), acetic acid (AC) and propionic acid (PA) were investigated by employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), FTIR spectral analysis and mechanical tests (MT). SEM measurements showed relatively smooth and homogeneous surfaces for all films confirmed by AFM. The FTIR spectra of all CS films showed similar spectra with a little shift of some bands towards lower or higher wave numbers. In addition, CS film cast from AC recorded the highest elongation at break but the lowest tensile strength among the three types of films used.