Miscibility of chitosan and poly(ethyleneglycol) blends in buffer solution

Abstract

The miscibility of chitosan (CS) and poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG) blends in buffer solution (CH3COOH and CH3COONa) has been investigated by viscosity, density and refractive index studies. Various interaction parameters such as polysolvent and blend-solvent interaction parameters and heat of mixing have been calculated using viscosity and density data. The results indicated the existence of positive interactions in the blend polymer solution and that they are miscible in buffer solution in 90/10 and 80/20 composition ranges. The study also revealed that variation of temperature does not affect the miscibility of chitosan and PEG blends in the buffer solution significantly. The presence of hydrogen bonding in the blends in the solid state has also been indicated by FTIR studies. Thermal behavior was studied using DSC instrument. The result obtained reveal that Chitosan forms a miscible blend with PEG in 90/10 and 80/20 composition ranges.