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Properties of Silk Fibroin/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Blend Solutions and Peculiar Structure Found in Heterogeneous Blend Films *
Author(s) -
Tanaka T.,
Suzuki M.,
Kuranuki N.,
Tanigami T.,
Yamaura K.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0126(199701)42:1<107::aid-pi686>3.0.co;2-9
Subject(s) - fibroin , vinyl alcohol , materials science , silk , polymer science , polymer blend , composite material , polymer chemistry , morphology (biology) , chemical engineering , polymer , copolymer , engineering , biology , genetics
The gelation of aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solution was accelerated by addition of a small amount of silk fibroin (SF). The peculiar structure found in heterogeneous SF/PVA blend films was analysed by polarizing microcopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The blend films (over 30μm thick) of SF/PVA (90/10 to 60/40 weight ratio) separated macroscopically into two phases: SF‐rich and PVA‐rich. SF‐rich phases had many spherical particles (1–25μm). In the PVA‐rich phases, a fabric‐like plain weave structure was found microscopically under a dark field. The SF‐rich and PVA‐rich phases were analysed by DSC, IR and SEM. The phase separation is also discussed. © of SCI.