Environmentally Friendly Melt-Processed Chitosan/Starch Composites Modified with PVA and Lignin.

Chitosan/starch-based composites were prepared by thermomechanical processing as an alternative to the traditional solution method, with the aim of fabricating environmentally friendly materials on a larger scale. Different contents and types of lignin and poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA were incorporated into chitosan/starch compositions to improve their mechanical properties. It was demonstrated that the presence of both lignin and PVA increases the values of tensile strength and elongation at break of the composites. Moreover, it was observed that by the selection of a type of lignin and PVA, it was possible to tailor the internal microstructure of the samples. As observed in scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs, the introduction of lignin and PVA resulted in the formation of a smooth surface and homogeneous samples.