Blends Containing Amphiphilic Biopolymers and their Compatibility Behavior

Abstract: This mini-review deals with the miscibility behaviour of two biopolymers, chitosan and alginate. It is well known that the miscibility in multifunctional polymer blends is favoured due to specific interactions, which origin a negative heat of mixing. Particular interest is focused on functionalized polymers because they are the most suitable way to obtain interacting polymers, producing a single-phase material. Due to the polyfunctionality of chitosan (CS) and other biopolymers, they can be taken into account as a basis of a strongly interacting polymer. They would allow obtaining compatible polymeric materials. For this reason, blends containing CS with different vinyl polymers have been studied. The most significant polymeric blends with these natural polymers will be analyzed in this review. Chitosan is obtained from the biopolymer chitin through sequential processes of demineralization, deproteinization and deacetylation. The native chitin is obtained by direct separation from the marine crustaceans’ shell, which is abundant on the sea coasts. Some classic results that relate to the polymeric blends containing amphiphilic polymers will be discussed. Another biopolymer of the coast is Sodium Alginate (SA). Alginate also allows the formation of compatible polymer blends. Results in this regard will also be analyzed in this review.