Effect of nano-alumina concentration on the mechanical, rheological, barrier and morphological properties of guar gum.

In this work, nano-alumina was utilized as a reinforcing agent for guar gum, with an aim to improve its performance properties; especially, mechanical and barrier i.e. water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). Films were prepared by the process of solution casting. Concentration of nano-alumina was varied as 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 parts per hundred parts of resin (phr) in guar gum. The prepared pristine and guar gum/alumina nano-composite films were characterized for mechanical, puncture, x-ray diffraction, barrier, rheological and morphological properties. Tensile strength, Young's modulus, puncture strength, viscosity and crystallinity increased; whereas, WVTR, elongation at break (%) and damping factor decreased with increased concentration of nano-alumina in guar gum. However, optimized improvement in the performance properties were determined for 5 phr nano-alumina loaded guar gum polymer matrix, attributed to its better dispersion and interaction into the guar gum polymer chains due to the hydrophilic nature of both the materials. Above 5 phr concentration nano-alumina started forming aggregates, as evident from scanning electron microscopy.