Development of biodegradable polymer using guar gum and chitosan.

IASST developed an environmentally friendly, non-toxic, biodegradable polymer using guar gum and chitosan. Guar gum and chitosan are both polysaccharides and biodegradable biopolymer. In general, polysaccharide is one of the most potential biopolymers that can be used as a synthesis of packaging material. However, due to some drawbacks of polysaccharides, such as low mechanical properties, high water-solubility, and low barrier properties, they are not preferred. In this work led by Dr. Devasish Chowdhury, Associate Professor, and the first author of the paper Sazzadur Rahman, Inspire Junior Research Fellow, a crosslinked guar gum-chitosan composite film without using any plasticizer was fabricated via the solution casting method. The fabricated biopolymer composite film demonstrated superior properties. The fabricated crosslinked film didn’t dissolve in water even after 240 hours. In addition, the mechanical strength of crosslinked guar gum-chitosan composite film was 39 ± 1.15 MPa, which demonstrates the good mechanical strength. The crosslinked guar gum-chitosan composite film also shows a high contact angle 92.8º (hydrophobic), clearly demonstrating the water repellant nature of the film, and low water vapor permeability when compared with the film of only chitosan. Moreover, the fabricated crosslinked guar gum-chitosan composite film had high water stability, high mechanical strength, and excellent resistance to harsh environmental conditions. Therefore, it can potentially be used in packaging applications. The full detail of the work can be found  at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpta.2021.100158