Property evaluation of sodium alginate/chitosan compound dressings

Polymer materials such as sodium alginate, chitosan, polylactic acid, and pectin, are commonly used as biomedical materials. This study combines sodium alginate (SA) and chitosan solutions to make the compound membranes. The compound membranes with optimal parameters are then combined with base fabrics, forming the compound dressings. SA and chitosan are mixed with various ratios, and then added with calcium chloride (CaCl ₂ (aq)), after which the mixture is thermally treated to form the SA/chitosan compound membranes. Moisture retention, swelling, weight loss, water contact angle, and water content ratio tests evaluate the resulting membranes, determining the optimum parameters. When the ratio of SA to chitosan is 7:3, the resulting membranes exhibit an optimal swelling. The weight loss of the membranes starts decreasing with the addition of CaCl ₂ (aq), indicating an increase in the structural stability of the compound membranes. Lastly, the water contact angle of all compound membranes is smaller than 90°, stating that they have a good hydrophilicity.