Abstract
As a biodegradable material, polylactic acid (PLA) is widely used in healthcare industries, however, its bacterial properties cannot meet the requirements. Chitin, a natural antibacterial agent, is difficult to directly melt blend with PLA due to agglomeration. In order to enhance the compatibility between chitin and PLA, in this study, firstly, chitin was decomposed by cellulase to prepare enzymolysis chitin (EC). The viscosity and particle size of EC were measured and the optimal enzymolysis conditions were chosen. Then, the modified chitin antibacterial agent (MCAA) was prepared by mixing EC with glyceryl triacetate (GTA) and polyethyleneglycol (PEG), and the biodegradable PLA/MCAA composite was prepared by melt blending. Finally, the tensile, thermal, antibacterial properties, and the micromorphology of the PLA/MCAA composite were investigated. The results show that at a pH of 6.4 and a temperature of 55 °C, EC exhibited low viscosity and particle size after an enzymatic hydrolysis time of 4.5 h. Compared with PLA, PLA/MCAA composite exhibited better antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, in comparison to the PLA/chitin composite, there was less agglomeration in the PLA/MCAA composite, and the particle distribution of MCAA was more uniform.
Funding source: The authors are grateful for the financial support from the National Science Foundation of China
Award Identifier / Grant number: 22268017
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study, or their legal guardians or wards.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
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Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
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Research funding: The authors are grateful for the financial support from the National Science Foundation of China (22268017).
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Data availability: Data will be made available on request.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review Articles
- A review on industrial optimization approach in polymer matrix composites manufacturing
- A review on the effect of fiber treatment and fillers on mechanical properties of kenaf fiber–reinforced composites
- Research Articles
- Synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres using poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) as a suspending agent
- Medical grade polypropylene after artificial aging in regard to the VOC emissions
- Optimal performance of poly-hybrid nanocomposites promoted with carbon fibers and nano silicon carbide particles via compression associated with hot pressing: characterization study
- Spectroscopic analysis of silicone intraocular lenses by optical transmission measurements and FTIR
- Preparation and properties of biodegradable antibacterial polylactic acid/modified chitin antibacterial agent composites
- Impact of domain knowledge on developing pumping models for single-screw extruders using symbolic regression
- Calibrator modelling in the simulation of extrusion process
- Strength and thermophysical properties of polylactide-few-layer graphene composites
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review Articles
- A review on industrial optimization approach in polymer matrix composites manufacturing
- A review on the effect of fiber treatment and fillers on mechanical properties of kenaf fiber–reinforced composites
- Research Articles
- Synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres using poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) as a suspending agent
- Medical grade polypropylene after artificial aging in regard to the VOC emissions
- Optimal performance of poly-hybrid nanocomposites promoted with carbon fibers and nano silicon carbide particles via compression associated with hot pressing: characterization study
- Spectroscopic analysis of silicone intraocular lenses by optical transmission measurements and FTIR
- Preparation and properties of biodegradable antibacterial polylactic acid/modified chitin antibacterial agent composites
- Impact of domain knowledge on developing pumping models for single-screw extruders using symbolic regression
- Calibrator modelling in the simulation of extrusion process
- Strength and thermophysical properties of polylactide-few-layer graphene composites