THESIS - ROC CH ... - FINAL - resubmission.pdf - University of Guelph
THESIS - ROC CH ... - FINAL - resubmission.pdf - University of Guelph
THESIS - ROC CH ... - FINAL - resubmission.pdf - University of Guelph
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6.4.2 MORPHOLOGY AND STRUCTURE<br />
Due to the appearance <strong>of</strong> aggregated fragments, homogeneity <strong>of</strong> fiber dispersion was a<br />
topic <strong>of</strong> concern. Upon examination <strong>of</strong> the films under polarized light (Figure 6.3), it was<br />
revealed that although mixing was not optimal, the clumping <strong>of</strong> fibers were independent<br />
occurrences unrelated to overall dispersibility. Fibers were seen to be randomly spread<br />
throughout the films.<br />
SPI NSF0.25 SMF0.25 SMF0.5 SMF1.0 SMF2.5<br />
Figure 6.3: Image <strong>of</strong> 1 inch wide specimens <strong>of</strong> SPI/cellulose blend films seen through a cross<br />
polarized light filter. Circled are clusters <strong>of</strong> aggregated cellulose fibers.<br />
Further analysis using OM under cross polarized light confirmed that the overall<br />
dispersion <strong>of</strong> fibers within the protein films is even and throughout (Figure 6.4). A large size<br />
distribution <strong>of</strong> fibers was also observed as expected. With increasing concentrations, the overall<br />
density <strong>of</strong> fibers was seen to increase. From 0.25 to 0.5% w/w SMF/SPI, the presence <strong>of</strong> larger<br />
fiber diameters was more prominent for the SMF0.5 specimen. At concentrations beyond 1%<br />
w/w SPI, the random presence <strong>of</strong> aggregates began to appear with more occurrences at 2.5%<br />
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