Thermal and Oxygen Barrier Properties of Chitosan Bionanocomposites by Reinforcement of Calcium Carbonate Nanopowder

Chitosan and calcium carbonate nanopowder (chitosan/CaCO3) bionanocomposites were prepared by solution method. Interaction between chitosan and CaCO3 was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Structure and surface morphology of chitosan/CaCO3 bionanocomposites were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), respectively. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) of chitosan/CaCO3 bionanocomposites was studied in order to establish the elements of composition. Thermal stability of prepared bionanocomposites was studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and a substantial increase of thermal stability of virgin chitosan was noticed due to incorporation of CaCO3 nanopowder. The oxygen permeability was reduced by three times as compared to the raw chitosan due to the dispersion of nano CaCO3 filler. Biodegradability and resistance towards dilute acid and alkali of the prepared bionanocomposite were investigated. The bionanocomposite having gas barrier and thermal stable property may be suitable for packaging and biomedical applications.