FILM MATERIALS BASED ON WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERS (REVIEW)

The possibility of producing polymer films from water-soluble and biodegradable polymers used mainly in the production of packaging materials for the food, chemical, construction industries, in the agricultural sector, as well as as shelters for temporary protection of products or surfaces, is currently one of the most pressing problems. This is due to the annually increasing anthropogenic load on nature due to the growing amount of used packaging materials. The interaction of polymers with water and aqueous solutions, as well as the factors affecting the solubility of polymers are considered. Of the large number of known water-soluble polymers, only a part allows obtaining films with a set of the required physical, mechanical and operational properties. Film-forming polymers of practical importance include, for example, polyvinyl alcohol and its copolymers, polyoxyethylene, many cellulose derivatives, proteins, polyesters. Possible methods for producing films, both from a melt and from a solution, are considered. Depending on the method of production and purpose of films, they can be not only soluble in water (hot or cold), but also insoluble in water with varying degrees of swelling, both in water and in other solvents. The widespread use of water-soluble film materials has a great future due to the fact that these materials help preserve the environment and do not worsen the ecology. They are indispensable in cases where precise dosing of packaged substances is required, especially caustic and toxic ones, to prevent their contact with humans.