| Abstract [eng] |
The growing demand for traditional plastics is increasing its production, which is leading to an increase in waste. The negative environmental impact of oil-based products encourages the development of new strategies for biopolymer creation. The most common biopolymers with the greatest potential for application are polysaccharides. Using these materials various types of gels can be created (xerogels, hydrogels, etc.). During the research work, xerogel biofilms with and without glycerol were formed from different polysaccharides (sodium alginate, calcium alginate, pectin, agar, starch, carboxymethylcellulose) and their mixtures. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that all samples had their characteristic functional groups. After assessing the physicochemical properties of the samples, it was determined, that biofilms containing sodium alginate, pectin and carboxymethylcellulose had the highest solubility in distilled water, and biofilms containing calcium alginate had the lowest solubility. After assessing the effect of pH values on solubility, it was found that the solubility values of all samples increased in acidic and basic media. Water vapor permeability studies have shown that the highest barrier to water vapor is created by biofilms containing calcium alginate. After evaluation of mechanical properties of xerogels, it was found that the samples with sodium alginate had the best mechanical properties. Hydrogel capsules were made from different concentrations of sodium alginate. Studies of capsules shape and surface morphology showed that the spherical shape was obtained using only 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% sodium alginate solutions. Analysis of the results of physicochemical studies showed that capsules made of calcium alginate have the highest swelling values in alkaline media and sodium chloride solutions. After evaluating the encapsulation efficiency of the samples, it was found that the capsules made of 1.5% sodium alginate have the highest encapsulation efficiency. It was also found that the encapsulation efficiency of all samples decreases with increasing temperature. Concentrations of sodium and calcium ions in the model system were found to increase after three months. Also, no significant changes in the pH values of the medium were observed throughout the experiment. |
