Fabrication of Biodegradable Wheat Gluten/Chitosan Blend Membranes

The polymeric blend membranes obtained from wheat gluten and chitosan were prepared by the casting and solvent evaporation method. The influence of the ratio of wheat gluten and chitosan (1: 3, 1: 1, and 3: 1) on the mechanical properties, swelling properties, and miscibility of biodegradable blend films was investigated. The swelling properties of the polymeric blend membranes studied as a function of pH showed that the absorption ability of the blend membranes decreased with the increasing content of wheat gluten. The functional group and the chemical compositions in the membranes were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffractions (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations indicated that the blend membranes showed partial miscibility with microphase separation, while the wheat gluten/chitosan membranes exhibited a higher flexibility, and the incorporation of wheat gluten into chitosan films improved the percentage elongation.