2006 Volume 62 Issue 12 Pages 267-274
Physical properties of uncrosslinked and crosslinked by ethyleneglycoldiglycidyl (EGDE) or polyethyleneglycoldiglycidyl (PGDE) sericin-chitosan blend membranes were investigated. 1. The surface of chitosan membrane was very smooth even after the treatment with aqueous sodium hydroxide. Those of uncrosslinked and crosslinked blend membranes were relatively flat before washing, but they were extremely uneven after washing with an alkaline solution. 2. With increasing sericin mixing ratio tensile stress increased whereas tensile strain decreased for uncrosslinked blend membrane. For crosslinked blend membrane by EGDE, both of tensile stress and tensile strain decreased. Tensile stress increased but tensile strain decreased for crosslinked blend membrane by PGDE (n=4). Both values for crosslinked blend membrane by PGDE (n=9) were equal or over to those of chitosan membrane. 3. The diffusion coefficient and permeability coefficient for an anionic dye (CI Acid Orange 7) into the blend membrane greatly increased. Those for the blend membrane crosslinked by PGDE of n=4 decreased whereas those values for the crosslinked blend membrane by PGDE of n=9 increased, because of the increase in the porosity by cleaning with an aqueous sodium hydroxide.
