PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF GELATINE/MONTMORILLONITE NANOCOMPOSITE FILMS WITH OR WITHOUT PLASTICIZER

J.F.MARTUCCI; A.VAZQUEZ; R.A.RUSECKAITE

Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)

Conferencia; COMAT; 2007

Gelatin/montmorillonite bionanocomposites (Ge/MMt) were successfully obtained for a variety of Na+-montmorillonite concentrations and with or without plasticizers. The study of Ge/MMt without additives was essential for the fundamental research and development of gelatin-based nanocomposites. Composite films were synthesized by solution - intercalation method. This strategy allowed one to produce exfoliated and exfoliated/intercalated nanocomposite providing sufficient hydrogen interactions between peptide bonds in gelatin and Si-O groups from clay particles, as confirmed by Fourier transform infra red (FTIR).Such interactions resulted to be beneficial to the dispersion process of monmorillonite layers in gelatin. Wide angle X-ray diffraction  analysis and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations confirmed that layered silicates were evenly distributed but not fully exfoliated in the matrix for clay content lower than 10wt.%.+-montmorillonite concentrations and with or without plasticizers. The study of Ge/MMt without additives was essential for the fundamental research and development of gelatin-based nanocomposites. Composite films were synthesized by solution - intercalation method. This strategy allowed one to produce exfoliated and exfoliated/intercalated nanocomposite providing sufficient hydrogen interactions between peptide bonds in gelatin and Si-O groups from clay particles, as confirmed by Fourier transform infra red (FTIR).Such interactions resulted to be beneficial to the dispersion process of monmorillonite layers in gelatin. Wide angle X-ray diffraction  analysis and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations confirmed that layered silicates were evenly distributed but not fully exfoliated in the matrix for clay content lower than 10wt.%.