Dynamic rheological behavior of chitosan/collagen mixtures

Abstract

Chitosan and collagen are naturally-derived materials with multiple applications, but their mixtures present phase separation phenomena. This shortcoming in relation to the mixture processing and, obviously, the applications can be overcome by choosing the appropriate composition. Rheological methods have been used to study collagen - chitosan mixtures to highlight their compatibility conditions in solution. Through the use of oscillatory rheometry, the viscoelastic behavior of collagen-chitosan mixtures in 0.5M acetic acid solution was analysed. The storage modulus (G') was used to describe the elasticity of the material, while the loss modulus (G") provided information on the viscous behavior of the mixtures.