Chitin is an abundant biomacromolecule, and widely found in the exoskeletons of arthropods, the shell of crustaceans, and the cuticles of insects. The chitin nanowhiskers were prepared by the acid hydrolysis, and the average length and width were 200 nm and 40 nm, respectively. Composite films were prepared with chitin nanowhiskers, polyvinyl alcohol, and montmorillonite. The morphology and structure of composite films were characterized by spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transparency property. The results show that PVA/MMT/NCH composite films have a highly ordered lamellar structure and the smooth surface. The composite films have a high tensile strength and high thermal stability. According to the properties of films, they could be widely used in the fileds of packages.

Enhancement of PVA/MMT composite film by chitin nanowhiskers

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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