Viscoelastic and rheological properties of nanocomposite-forming solutions based on gelatin and montmorillonite

摘要

Interested in developing gelatin-based nanocomposites using a spreading technique, this research aimed to study the effect of nanoparticles concentration on the rheological properties of nanocomposite-forming solutions (NFS) based on gelatin and montmorillonite (MMT). The NFS were produced with 5 and 8 g gelatin/100 g NFS; 30 g glycerol/100 g gelatin and 0, 5, 10 and 15 g MMT/100 g gelatin. Rheological tests were carried out in an Ar~2000 rheometer. Also, the dispersions of MMT in water were analyzed to determine the pH, the mean diameter, and the ζ-potential. The MMT concentration affected significantly the mean diameter of the dispersed nanoparticles, but only affected the ζ-potential for the 5% gelatin system. The MMT dispersions presented Newtonian behavior with low viscosity. The NFS presented viscoelastic behavior. The sol-gel and gel-sol transition temperatures were affected by the MMT concentration. Moreover, the NFS in the sol domain presented a non-Newtonian behavior affected by the MMT concentration.