• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.546-552
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• 1996

The applicability of chitosan, a biodegradable natural polymer, as the coating material to prevent the dispersal of the spores of the apple white rot agent Botryosphaeria dothidea, was investigated. The physical properties of mixed chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) film showed the increased physical properties for film formation, such as tensil strength, elongation, and viscosity, compared to either chitosan or PVA film. The FT-IR spectra of chitosan/PVA film indicated that the film was formed by simple blending not by any new synthetic bond. The chitosan and chitosan/PVA film showed effective antifungal activity on B. dothidea. The formed films were well decomposed by ASTM strains used for biodegradability test, on the other hand, the PVA film could not be decomposed by above standard strains. The field test at apple orchard showed that the dispersal of B. dothidea spores could be effectively reduced by coated film, especially by chitosan/PVA film. The spore dispersal was reduced upto 97.0% by 1.0% chitosan/5.0% PVA film during 4 months.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.48-53
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• 1998

Chitin is known as biodegradable natural polymer. But, in spite of various application of chitin from waste marine sources, commercial use of chitin has been limited due to highly resistance to chemicals and the absense of proper solvents. We made various viscosity of chitosan from chitin by change of Mima's method through the deacetylation which is various condition of NaOH concentration, reaction time and temperature. Also, Polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan blend films were prepared by different solution blends containing the ratio of 5, 10, 15 and 20% chitosan and low, medium, high molecular weight of chitosan to find a more useful biodegradable polymer. Thermal and mechanical properties of PVA/chitosan blend films such as DSC, impact strength, tensile strength and morphological changes by SEM were determined. The 10-15% PVA/chitosan(low, medium) blend films were similar to PVA. Also, PVA/chitosan blend films at the laboratory soil test(Pot Test) were completely degraded in month with four kinds of soils by microorganisms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.417-422
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• 1999

Algin and chitosan are known as biodegradable natural polymers. PVA is useful for the production of water soluble packaging, paper, textile sizes. PVA/Algin and PVA/chitosan films were prepared by solution blends method in the weight ratio of chitosan, algin for the purpose of useful biodegradable films. Thermal and mechanical properties of blend films such as DSC, impact strength, tensile strength and morphology by SEM were determined. As a result, The ratio of 10.0wt% PVA/chitosan films were similar to PVA at thermal and mechanical properties. PVA/Algin films were found that phase separation was occured as more than 25wt% increasing the blend ratio of algin. PVA/Algin films were observed to be less partially compatibility than 10wt% increasing the blend ratio of algin by DSC, mechanical properties and SEM. Blend films were completely degraded pH 4.0 better than 7.0, 10.0 in the buffer solution. Also, they were rapidly degraded in the enzyme( glucosidase) solution better than pH solution by enzymolysis.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.405-412
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• 2003

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and N-(2-hydroxy)propyl-3-trimethylammonium chitosan chloride (HTCC), a water soluble chitosan derivative synthesized by the reaction of quaternary ammonium compound with chitosan, were blended using water as a solvent and the PVA/HTCC blend films with various compositions were prepared by solution casting method. The miscibility between the two polymers and the thermal properties of the blend films were investigated using FT-IR, DSC, DMA, and TGA. Single glass transition temperatures and single melting temperatures of the blend films along with the strong and clear film state for the whole composition of blending ratios suggest the miscibility between PVA and HTCC. The PVA/HTCC blend films with HTCC content of 1% and greater showed excellent antimicrobial activity.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.174-179
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• 2005

The present paper studies the effect of chitosan, cationic starch and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as sizing agents to enhance surface properties of kenaf paper. The polymers were incorporated into the sheets by spray application. The results clearly showed that the addition of chitosan to a sheet formed from beaten fibers had excellent improvement in surface properties, compared to the effect of other additives. Sizing quality of cationic starch fairly matched with the sizing quality of chitosan, however, it was able to reduce the water absorption potential of paper more than chitosan at a same concentration. In most other properties, particularly the most important property for printing papers, surface smoothness, chitosan-sized papers are superior to the paper sized with cationic starch or PVA.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.321-322
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• 2003

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a polymeric biomaterial that obtained by the saponification of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). It has a nontoxic and water-soluble synthetic polymer, and has excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, ability of film forming, and hydrophilic property, which is widely used in biochemical and biomedical applications.$\^$1)/ Chitosan is one of a few natural cationic polysaccharides that can be obtaiend by alkaline deacetylation of chitin which is the second most abundant polymeric material in the earth.$\^$2)/ (omitted)