Preparation of extruded polyethylene/chitosan blends compatibilized with polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride.

Novel films of polyethylene and chitosan were obtained using extrusion. These polymers have interesting properties, and processing them with methods that are of high use in the industry, such as the extrusion method, can have a significant effect on the potential applications of these materials. The individual materials were thermally characterized; after this, extruded films of low density polyethylene and chitosan mixtures were prepared with the addition of polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride as a compatibilizer for the blends, and glycerol, as a plasticizer for chitosan. The use of compatibilizer and plasticizer agents improved the processability and compatibility of the mixtures, as well as their mechanical properties, as revealed by mechanical property measurements and scanning electron microscopy. It was possible to prepare blends with a maximum chitosan content of 20 wt%. The material stiffness increased with the increase of chitosan in the sample. FTIR studies revealed the existence of an interaction between the compatibilizer and chitosan.