Effect of Triacetin on the Properties of Cellulose Acetate/Polyethylene Glycol Blend Films

Abstract: Cellulose acetate (CA)/polyethylene glycol (PEG)/triacetin (TA) blend films with different compositionratios were prepared by solution casting method to evaluate the effect of TA on the secondary structure and mechanicalproperties CA/PEG blend films. The cast CA/PEG blend films were drawn under various zone-drawing conditionsdetermined by rheometry. Maximum draw ratio, degree of orientation, crystallinity, surface morphology, and mechanicalproperties were studied at different TA concentrations. CA/PEG/TA films had higher drawability and degree oforientation than CA/PEG and CA/TA films. Also, the mechanical properties of CA/PEG/TA films were better owing totheir ordered structure. TA acted as a compatibilizer to facilitate the extension of polymers in the direction of zone-drawing, when CA or CA/PEG blend films were drawn. This could be a potential solution to the problem of lowtensile strength in melt-spun CA/PEG fibers.Keywords: cellulose acetate, poly(ethylene glycol), triacetin, blend film, zone-drawing, melt spinning