Regenerated cellulose-silk fibroin blends fibers.
Fibers made of cellulose and silk fibroin at different composition were wet spun from solutions by using N-methylmorpholine N-oxide hydrates (NMMO/H(2)O) as solvent and ethanol as coagulant. Different spinning conditions were used. The fibers were characterized by different techniques: FTIR-Raman, scanning electron microscopy, wide-angle x-ray diffraction, DSC analysis. The results evidence a phase separation in the whole blends compositions. The tensile characterization, however, illustrates that the properties of the blends fibers are higher respect to a linear behaviour between the pure polymers, confirming a good compatibility between cellulose and silk fibroin. The fibers containing 75% of cellulose show better mechanical properties than pure cellulose fibers: modulus of about 23 GPa and strength to break of 307 MPa.
Marsano
Enrico
E
Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Genova, Genova, Italy. marsano@unige.it
Corsini
Paola
P
Canetti
Maurizio
M
Freddi
Giuliano
G
D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D003497:Cyclic N-Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009025:Morpholines / Q000737:chemistry; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D003497:Cyclic N-Oxides; D009025:Morpholines; D000431:Ethanol; D002482:Cellulose; D005349:Fibroins; C067960:4-methylmorpholine N-oxide