Preparation and blood-compatibility of starch/PVA blend films

The starch/polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) composite membranes were prepared through blending PVA with starch without any chemical treatment. The starch/PVA membranes were characterized by the mechanical assay, swelling test and FTIR analysis. The blood-compatibility of the blending films was evaluated by using the hemolysis assay, dynamic coagulation time and platelet consumption. The results show that the mechanical properties and blood-compatibility of composite membranes are improved as blending starch into PVA. When the mass ratio of PVA and starch is 4∶1, the composite films have quite good tensile strength and tensile strain, reaching to 13.73 MPa and 43.07% respectively, more excellent than those of other composite membranes.