Investigation of the Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Blend Films Based on Hemicelluloses and Cellulose

This study presents an effective and convenient approach to prepare blend films with enhanced mechanical and thermodynamic properties by incorporation of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) into quaternized hemicelluloses (QH). The structures and properties of films were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile testing, respectively. From the SEM pictures, tight, homogeneous, and smooth surfaces of films were obtained. In addition, the transparencies of the blend films were increased with the increasing of CMC content. The results of mechanical properties indicated that the blend film prepared from QH and CMC (1 : 2 m/m) had a tensile strength of 65.2 MPa. It suggested that the addition of CMC was contributed to mechanical properties by strong electrostatic interactions and the enhanced hydrogen bondings with QH. These results provide insights into the understanding of the structural relationships of bioblend films in coating and packaging application.