Reinforcement of Thermo-Compressed Sodium Alginate Films with Calcium Alginate Powder

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Alginate, a seaweed-derived polymer, is biocompatible and biodegradable.
• Poor mechanical properties limit alginate's applications.
• Melt processing offers scalable production for reinforced alginate films.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the mechanical properties of sodium alginate (SA) films.
• To incorporate calcium alginate (CA) powder as a reinforcing filler.
• To investigate the effect of varying CA content on SA film properties.

Main Methods:

• SA/CA biocomposite films were fabricated using thermo-compression.
• Glycerol was used as a plasticizer for the SA matrix.
• CA content varied from 2.5 to 20 wt%.

Main Results:

• Scanning electron microscopy confirmed good interfacial adhesion between SA and CA.
• Increased CA content reduced film moisture content.
• SA/CA films with 20 wt% CA showed a 208% increase in tensile strength (11.7 MPa) and a 907% increase in Young's modulus (234.7 MPa).

Conclusions:

• Calcium alginate powder effectively reinforces thermo-compressed SA films.
• Enhanced mechanical properties open possibilities for high-strength alginate products.
• Potential applications include biomedical, agricultural, and packaging sectors.