• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.28-31
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• 2004

Bombyx mori silk fibroin/hyaluronic acid blend films were prepared by mixing aqueous solution of B. mori silk fibroin and hyaluronic acid. According to the FTIR spectra, no interaction between silk fibroin and hyaluronic acid was found. The conformation of silk fibroin in blend films was changed from random coil to $\beta$-sheet structure by treatment of EDC ethanol solution. Thermal degradation peak of silk fibroin and hyaluronic acid was also not altered by blending each other. The average swelling ratio of silk fibroin/hyaluronic acid blend films was 70. Therefore, silk fibroin/hyaluronic acid blend films might be one of possible wound dressing materials.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.509-513
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• 2009

For examining an effect of lithium bromide on structure and property of chitosan/fibroin blend, we investigated the structural characteristic of chitosan/fibroin blend films using solution with lithium bromide which was removed during a casting. The chitosan/fibroin blend formed a complex with the dissolved bromine/lithium ions. The crystalline phase of the complex was found in the blend film at LiBr concentration of 0.6 mol/L. The degree of crystallization was decreased with increasing the concentration of LiBr. The hydrated crystalline phase of chitosan was formed in the blend film that lithium bromide was removed in the process of casting by neutralization and osmotic action. The crystallinity of this film was increased largely as compared with that of the film without lithium bromide. The complexed blend film formed hydrogel absorbing plenty of water.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.581-587
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• 2009

PLA/PEG blend fibers composed of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) were prepared via melt blending and spinning for bioabsorbable filament sutures. The blend fibers hydrolyzed with the immersion in a phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.4 and $37\;^{\circ}C$ for 1~8 weeks. The effects of blending time, blend composition, and hydrolysis time on the weight loss and tensile strength of the hydrolyzed blend fibers were investigated. After hydrolysis, the weight loss of the blend fibers increased with increasing PEG content, blending time, and hydrolysis time. The tensile strength and tensile modulus of the blend fibers decreased with increasing PEG content, blending time, and hydrolysis time. Therefore, it can be concluded that the weight loss of the PLA/PEG blend fibers was less than 0.9% even at hydrolysis time of 2 weeks and their strength retentions were over 90%.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.253-262
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• 2004

Poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA)/chitosan blend films with non-toxicity, biodegradability, and biocom-patibility were prepared by solution casting. Variation of the physicochemical properties of the blend films was investigated through to several analysis methods. Examination of antibacterial properties revealed that bacterio-static ratios of all blend samples containing chitosan more than 10 wt％ were greater than 99.9％. Moisture regain was increased with increasing chitosan content but the degree of swelling was decreased. Up to chitosan content 15 wt％t, the melting and crystallization temperature of blend films was increased with chitosan content. The blends containing chitosan content 10 and 15 wt％ gave melting temperature 229 and 228$^{\circ}C$, respectively. However, the melting temperature was decreased if chitosan content exceeded 20 wt％. The mechanical properties of the blend films were increased with increasing chitosan content in both dry and wet states. The blend film including 15 wt％ chitosan exhibited unusually high tensile strength.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2008

The mechanical properties and morphologies of cellulose blends with two different additives were compared. Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) of ethylene glycol (EG) were used as additives in the formation of cellulose blends through the solution blending. The properties of blends were varied with the additive content in the polymer matrix. The ultimate tensile strength and initial modulus of the cellulose blends were highest for a blend PVA content of 30 wt% and for a blend EG content of 10 wt%, respectively. Ternary blended systems of composition of cellulose/PVA (70/30=w/w)/EG were also prepared by the solution blending method with different EG contents. The mechanical properties of these systems were found to be optimal for EG contents of up to 40 wt%. The mechanical properties of the cellulose ternary blend films were superior to those of the cellulose binary blend films. The oxygen permeability transmission rate ($O_2TR$) monotonically decreased with increasing EG content in the ternary blend films. Overall, the mechanical properties of the cellulose blend films were found to be better than those of pure cellulose films.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2005

To mass-produce useful biopolymer films, chitosan/gelatin blend films were prepared by solution casting method. Effects of mixing ratio, tensile strength (TS), elongation (E) at break, total color difference (${\Dalta}E$), opacity, water vapor permeability (WVP), oxygen permeability (OP), and thermal properties on chitosan/gelatin blend films properties were investigated. TS, E, ${\Dalta}E$, opacity, WVP, and OP values were 58.24-22.01 MPa, 13.11-24.67%, 1.86-17.45, 0.3104-1.2161 nmO.D./${\mu}m$, $1.6875-1.7225ng{\cdot}m/m^{2}{\cdot}s{\cdot}Pa$, and $2.2380{\times}10^{-7}-2.2975{\times}10^{-7}\;mL{\cdot}{\mu}m/m^{2}{\cdot}s{\cdot}Pa$, respectively. TS of blend films decreased, while E, ${\Dalta}E$, and opacity increased with increasing chitosan content. WVP of blend films did not show any significant relationship with mixing ratio and thickness of blend films. Miscibility of films was examined over entire composition range by thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). TGA results showed gelatin is more thermally stable than chitosan and some interactions among functional groups of two biopolymers. Glass transition temperature $(T_{2})$ of films as determined by DMA decreased with increasing content of chitosan in the blend. Results of thermal analysis indicate high miscibility among polymer components in the blend.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.188-194
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• 2003

Phase behavior and spinodal phase separation kinetics in binary blends of a random copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene (75/25) [P(VDF/TrFE)] and poly(l,4-butylene adipate) (PBA) have been investigated by means of optical microscopic observation and time-resolved light scattering. The blends exhibited a typical lower critical solution temperature (LCST)∼${34}^{\circ}C$ above the melting temperature of the P(VDF/TrFE) crystals over the entire blend composition range. P(VDF/TrFE) and PBA were totally miscible in the temperature gap between the melting point of P(VDF/TrFE) and the LCST. Temperature jump experiments of the 3/7 P(VDF/TrFE)/PBA blend were carried out on a light-scattering apparatus from a single-phase melt state (${180}^{\circ}C$) to a two-phase region (205∼${215}^{\circ}C$). Since the late stage of spinodal decomposition (SD) is prevalent in the 3/7 blend, SD was analyzed using a power law scheme. Self-similarity was preserved well in the late stage of SD in the 3/7 blend.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.457-466
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• 2008

The relation between the phase separated morphologies and their transport properties in the polymer blend membrane for direct methanol fuel cell application was studied. In order to enhance the proton conductivity and reduce the methanol crossover, sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymer, with a sulfonation of 60 mol% (sPAES-60), was blended with nonsulfonated poly(ether sulfone) copolymer (RH-2000, Solvay). Various morphologies were obtained by varying the drying condition and the concentration of the casting solution (10, 15, 20 wt%). The transport properties of proton and methanol molecule through the polymer blend membranes were studied according to the absorbed water. AC impedance spectroscopy was used to measure the proton conductivity and a liquid permeability measuring instrument was designed to measure the methanol permeability. The state of water in the blend membranes was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and was used to correlate the morphology of the membrane with the membrane transport properties.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.150-156
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• 2001

Polystyrenes(PS) were grafted onto polypropylene(PP) in the PP solution by ultrasonic irradiation-initiated polymerization of styrene. The resulting products consisted of mixtures of homopolymers and PP-PS copolymer because of the homopolymerization of styrene itself and copolymerization with PP. The dependency of the designated polymerization on sonication times was investigated to monitor the evolution lion of the copolymerization. Formation of the PP-PS copolymer was confirmed by FTIR analysis of the reaction products after a proper separation procedure of free PS and PP-PS copolymer. It was found that the tendency for the formation of PP-PS copolymer was closely related with the phase behavior of the PP/styrene mixture which was also influenced by sonication time. In order to verify the effectiveness of the PP-PS copolymer as a compatibilizer for PP/PS blend, melt mixing of PP/PS/PP-PS was performed in a batch mixer. During the mixing, the average torque was higher for the blend containing PP-PS copolymer influencing compatibilization. In accordance with the results from FRIR analysis and torque measurement, the PS domain size remarkably decreased in the PP/PS/PP-PS blend.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.601-615
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• 1993

A series of polycarbonate(PC)/polyamide 6(PA6) blends were prepared by three different blending methods to investigate their compatibility. From the DSC results, all of these blends have two Tg's in their own Tg regions, and there was no significant depression of the melting point and the crystallization temperature of PA6. With respect to the microstructure of the blends by SEM, the phase separation occurred at very low blend compositions, PC/PA6=95/5 and 5/95, already. In addition, a method is proposed to determine the Flory-Huggins polymer-polymer interaction parameter(${\chi}_{12}$) in polymer blend systems by using the experimentally determined Tg's. The values of ${\chi}_{12}$ obtained were 0.0381, 0.0411, 0.0418, for solution casting, solution precipitation, and extrusion blending methods, respectively. These values were higher than the critical value of ${\chi}_{12}$,($({\chi}_{12})_c$, 0.0271). Therefore it was concluded that the PC/PA6 blend system have little compatibility.