Studies of physico-mechanical properties of photo-cured sodium alginate with silane monomer

Natural and biodegradable polymer SA was extracted from Sargassum. Sodium alginate films were prepared by casting and their mechanical properties like Tensile strength (TS), Elongation at break (Eb) were monitored. TS and Eb of the sodium alginate films were obtained as 24.0 MPa and 11.5%, respectively. The resulting films of SA were photo-cured with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate (silane) in order to improve the physico-mechanical properties. Several acrylic monomers of various functionalities were incorporated with silane monomer as additives (2%) like 2-Ethylhexylacrylate (EHA), 1,4-Butanediol diacrylate (BDDA), Trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) with the aid of UV radiation. A series of formulations was prepared with the monomer silane, and the additives EHA, BDDA, TMPTA, and a 2% photoinitiator (Darocure-1664). Monomer concentration, soaking time, and radiation dose were optimized in terms of polymer loading and mechanical properties. Ten percent of silane treated films produced the highest TS at 5 min soaking time using 15th pass of UV radiation and the recorded value was 49.68 MPa. The highest value of Eb 21.5% was recorded in using additives 2% EHA in 10% silane monomer at 5 min soaking time. Further analyses of the prepared films were characterized by FTIR.