Influence of curing temperature on thermal properties and UV stability of hydroxypropyl cellulose cross-linked with glyoxylic acid

Abstract

Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) can be cross-linked to films by means of glyoxylic acid. The cross-linking temperature (room temperature up to 100 °C) influences the thermal and mechanical properties of the formed films, in which the impact on the tensile strength is higher than that on the thermal stability. A temperature of 70 °C can be specified as optimal cross-linking temperature. In addition to the thermal and mechanical properties, the UV stability of the films is investigated by UV-GC/MS. Artificial aging of the films indicates a degradability of the cross-linked HPC films. The lower the cross-linking temperature of the HPC films, the faster is the degradation caused by artificial aging.