Abstract
Plasticized starch (PLST)/carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) blends were fabricated at different composition ratios in the form of thin films via solution casting. The PLST/CMC films were exposed to different doses of gamma radiation. The effect of gamma irradiation on the thermal, mechanical and structural morphology properties of the films was investigated. The swelling properties of the PLST/CMC blends increased as the CMC content increased; however, the swelling was decreased at higher irradiation doses. The PLST/CMC blends exhibited lower thermal stability than pure PLST; however, a slight increase in thermal stability was observed with an increasing irradiation dose. Mechanical testing revealed that the tensile strength and elongation at break increased with an increasing irradiation dose. The results indicated that the gamma-irradiated PLST/CMC/chitosan blends had higher antimicrobial properties than the unirradiated blends.