Compatibilization of acrylic polymer–silk fibroin blend fibers: 2. Morphology and mechanical properties of the compatilized blend fibers

✍ Scribed by Yuyu Sun; Zhengzhong Shao; Jie Zhou; Tongyin Yu

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 802 KB
• Volume: 73
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8995
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(19990912)73:11<2255::aid-app23>3.0.co;2-p

✦ Synopsis

Three synthesized acrylonitrile-graft-silk fibroin copolymers (AN-g-SF), denoted as COP-65, COP-87, and COP-106, were used as potential compatilizers for acrylic polymer-silk fibroin blend fibers. Due to their different molecular weights and architecture, the compatibilizing efficiency is in the order of COP-106 Ͼ COP-65 Ͼ COP-87. To maintain the "sheath-core" structure of the blend fiber, COP-65 was chosen as the compatilizer. It was found that the addition of a small amount of COP-65 (up to 2 wt %) results in finer and more even distribution of the SF fibrils. On the contrary, excess COP-65 will cause flocculation and coalescence of the SF phase. Similarly, mechanical properties are enhanced with an optimum amount of the compatilizers. However, when excess COP-65 is added, the mechanical properties of the blend fibers are even worse than that of the uncompatilized samples. The mechanism of these findings is also discussed.