Evaluation of maleic anhydride-modified chitosan as filler reinforced PBAT composite film

In this article, maleic anhydride (MA) was used to graft-modify chitosan (CS) to obtain maleic anhydride-modified chitosan (MCS). Composite films with different ratios were prepared by melt blending-extrusion pelletizing-blown film using Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) as the substrate and CS or MCS as the filler. These films can be utilized in a variety of ways, such as food packaging, agricultural mulching film, and more. The composite films were characterized and tested by a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and electronic universal testing machine, and the effects of different fillers and filler contents on the properties of the composite films were investigated. The results showed that the thermal stability of the composite films decreased slightly with the increase in filler ratio, the melt crystallization temperature increased and then decreased, and the tensile strength and elongation at break of the composite films decreased. Compared with unmodified CS, MCS had better dispersion and compatibility when blended with PBAT, and the interaction between MCS and PBAT was greater than that of CS. The optimal filler amount of MCS was 6% for the combination of film material cost and performance considerations.