The properties of sericin/poly(vinyl alcohol) films modified by boric acid

A group of films mainly composed of sericin and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), using boric acid (BA) as a modifier, were prepared by a technique of solution casting. In this work, the effect of BA and sericin on the mechanical properties and water resistance of the films was analyzed, the interior morphology of the films were described by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the thermal stability of the films was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the reaction mechanism was proposed according to the previous literature and the test of Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR). Results indicated that, the properties of the membrane were the functions of the blend ratio of sercin to PVA and the content of BA. The use of BA increased the tensile strength, improved the water resistance and the thermal stability, and varied the interior morphology of the films. The content of sericin greatly influenced the combination of properties of the films, especially the mechanical properties, interior morphology, thermal stability, and water resistance reducing with the increasing of sericin content. The films have potential to be used in materials, such as skin-care coatings for beauty, percutaneous drug delivery systems for exterior intact skin, due to the characteristics of the components and the good mechanical properties of the films.