CHARACTERIZATION OF HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE-GELATIN BASED COMPOSITES

Hydroxyethyl cellulose-gelatin (HEC-GEL) based aerogels were produced by mixing different ratios of cellulose ether (HEC) with gelatin (GEL) (100%, 80/20%, 50/50%, and 20/80%), and using the lyophilisation technique. CaCl2 was used as crosslinker (C) to increase the reaction of HEC with GEL. The density, porosity, liquid absorption rates for water, PBS (phosphate buffered saline), methylene blue (MB), and Congo red (CR), as well as water vapor transmission (WVT) and BET-specific surface area of the prepared aerogels were investigated. Also, the materials were characterized by FTIR and SEM, and in terms of their antibacterial activity. All aerogels, both with crosslinker and without, had low density values, in the range of 0.01-0.02 g/cm3. High porosity values were determined for the 100% GEL-C of 98.2% and for 20% HEC-80% GEL of 99.8%. The liquid absorption performance of the aerogels, both with crosslinker and without, showed higher values with a higher amount of GEL added into the formulation. The addition of the crosslinker into the HEC-GEL matrix caused minor changes in chemical composition. This simple lyophilization technique provided almost homogenous compositions, yielding highly porous materials that can be used in different application areas, where high porosity is required.