Functionalization of PVC by chitosan addition: Compound stability and tensile properties

Chitosan is a biomaterial characterized by biodegradability, biocompatibility with human tissues, antimicrobial and antifungal activities, and for these reasons has been proposed in many different fields. The present work highlights the potentiality of chitosan as additive for active PVC-based composites, prepared by termo-mechanical process, with good mechanical-physical properties and antimicrobial activity. A specific mechanical characterization shows as elastic modulus and tensile strength increase with the chitosan concentration, as well as dynamical storage and loss moduli. These findings evidence that a significant interaction between chitosan and PVC occurs. The thermal stability and preliminary antimicrobial tests are encouraging.