Tensile strength optimization and characterization of chitosan/TiO₂ hybrid film

This text prepared the chitosan/TiO₂ hybrid film by sol-gel method and optimized the tensile strength through the response surface method (RSM). Based on single factor experiment, it studied the influence of chitosan, acetic acid, tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) and normal butyl alcohol mixture using a full factorial design. The optimum proportion of these three factors was calculated through retrogressive method: chitosan is 0.27 g, acetic acid is 11.6 ml and the mixture is 0.54 ml. Under present condition, the forecast value of tensile strength is 1731 cN nearly to the experimental data. FT-IR, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the as-obtained hybrid nanostructures. It indicates Ti{single bond}O bond is formed in the hybrid film through IR spectra and TiO₂ is amorphous in the hybrid film toward XRD. TGA demonstrates that the chitosan/TiO₂ hybrid film exhibits better thermal stability.