Preparation of Fish Scale Collagen – Banana Cellulose Composite and their Characterization

Composite sheets containing fish scale collagen and banana cellulose (FSC-BC) were prepared and characterized for their infrared spectra, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, water absorption and mechanical properties. The composite sheet with stoichiometric ratio FSC: BC (46gm: 4gm) exhibited better mechanical and water absorption properties. The IR study has shown that the sheet contained functional groups of both collagen and cellulose without any major modifications. The SEM pictures exhibited the compact and porous nature of FSC –BC composite. This material with its better physico-chemical properties may be a suitable candidate for wound dressing material. In future, use of bovine collagen may be restricted due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and foot and mouth diseases, development of alternative materials, like FSC-BC, have to be initiated particularly in developing countries like India.