Carboxymethylated starch and cellulose derivatives-based film as human skin equivalent for adhesive properties testing.

The films based on carboxymethyl derivatives of starch (CMS) and cellulose (CMC) were proposed as a novel human skin equivalent. The physicochemical properties (moisture absorption, solubility in water, mechanical properties) of CMS/CMC films were evaluated. Additionally, some properties were compared to the human skin ones (surface roughness, tribology). The system based on CMS/CMC 25/75 wt. % was selected for testing the adhesive properties of pressure-sensitive adhesives commonly used for medical purposes (acrylic, silicone and polyisobutylene). Similar tests were performed for human skin. The peel adhesion values for CMS/CMC film and human skin were similar for all adhesives types tested. Applying such a skin equivalent allows to evaluate the functional properties of medical pressure-sensitive adhesives without the ethical and economic issues.