Effect of gamma irradiation on the condensed state structure and mechanical properties of konjac glucomannan/chitosan blend films

Konjac glucomannan and chitosan blend films with different blend ratio were gamma irradiated up to 80 kGy, The mechanical properties achieved their maximum under 25 kGy dose, the tensile strength and breaking elongation of KC2 were enhanced about 40% and 30%, respectively. No change occurred in the primary group such as hydroxyl and acetyl of the blend films during irradiation. The effect of irradiation decreased with the increase of konjac glucomannan content, and the blend film KC2 irradiated by 25 kGy had the highest cystallinity. The miscibility of KGM and CHI in the blend film also played an important role in keeping its morphology, in addition to the content of chitosan when the films were irradiated. 25 kGy gamma irradiation was not only a useful sterilization method for the film biomaterial but also an efficient modification method for enhancing the properties of KC2. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.