Characterization of biopolymer membranes and films: Physicochemical, mechanical, barrier, and biological properties

Abstract In this chapter, a full overview of the main characterization techniques of biopolymer membranes and films is presented, focusing on the fundamentals and methods of analysis of each technique applied to biopolymers. First, a complete publications search on the main characterizations of biopolymer films and membranes is reported, specifying the number of published papers per technique from 1999 to 2018. Then, the characterizations are sorted by type. In the physicochemical characterization section, microscopy techniques, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermal analysis are addressed. Then, physical characterizations, such as swelling, degradation/erosion degree, mechanical and barrier properties, contact angle, and textural analysis applied to biopolymer membranes and films are elucidated. Finally, the main biological characterizations are reported, such as cytotoxicity, sensitization capacity, and irritation potential.