Novel micro-composites from Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and silica were prepared using solgel technique. Different catalysts were used for the in-situ generation of silica network from tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) in the PVC matrix. Thin transparent films containing various proportions of silica in PVC were cast by the solvent elution technique. Mechanical properties of these films were studied. The results showed an increase in the value of Young's modulus and strain at rupture by the addition of small amount of silica in PVC. However, the stress at yields point and stress at rupture decreased with the addition of silica contents. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDAX) studies were also performed on these samples.
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