Transport properties of chitosan and whey blended with poly(epsilon-caprolactone) assessed by standard permeability measurements and microcalorimetry

Blends of poly(p-caprolactone) (PCL) with chitosan and a whey-protein-isola te (WPI) were prepared by solution mixing and film casting. The purpose was to increase the water vapour resistivity of chitosan and whey by blending them with a hydrophobic biodegradable polymer. The water vapour transmissio n rate was determined by a standard technique and by a new technique based on microcalorimetry. The blends were characterised by scanning electron mic roscopy (SEM), density measurements and thermogravimetry. Oxygen permeabili ty was measured on the pure components and on some of the blends. The incor poration of PCL yielded a pronounced decrease in water vapour transmission rate of both chitosan and the WPI measured at a relative humidity gradient of 11 to 0%. A volume content of 17-18% of PCL lowered the water vapour tra nsmission rate by 70-90%. It was found that the majority of the PCL particl es were ellipsoidal in chitosan and fibrous in the WPI and the data indicat ed that the particle shape had an important influence on the water vapour t ransmission rate. The large decrease in water vapour transmission rate was also due to a reduction in water solubility because of limited swelling of the constrained chitosan or WPI matrix in the presence of PCL. SEM revealed that the miscibility/compatibility between PCL and the matrices was good. The water vapour transmission rate of the films decreased with increasing v acuum-drying time of the chitosan and WPI solutions. Microcalorimetry provi ded accurate estimates of water vapour transmission rate. Furthermore. this technique proved to be very flexible and the water vapour transmission rat e could be determined over a broad range of relative humidities in a single experiment. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.