Preparation and Characterization of Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Composite Reinforced with Nanocellulose and Nanosilica

Abstract

This work reported the thermomechanical and morphological properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposites reinforced with nanosilica and oil palm empty fruit bunches derived nanocellulose. The nanocomposites were characterized by mechanical, thermal, XRD, optical, and morphological studies. Uniformity dispersion of the nanofillers at a 3 wt% concentration has been shown by scanning electron microscopy, whereas the changes in crystallinity were demonstrated by X-ray diffraction analysis. Addition of nanosilica resulted in increased thermal stability of PVA/nanocellulose composites due to the reduction in mobility of the matrix molecules. Visible light transmission showed that the addition of 0.5 wt% nanosilica only slightly reduced the light transmission of PVA/nanocellulose composites with 3 wt% nanocellulose. The addition of a small concentration of nanosilica successfully improved the tensile and modulus properties of PVA/nanocellulose composite films. The increases in tensile strength and thermal stability were evidence of a nanosilica contribution in PVA/nanocellulose composites, inducing reinforcement, as detected by the thermomechanical properties.

Nanocellulose-assisted dispersion of graphene to fabricate poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene nanocomposite for humidity sensing

“…There is an optimal density of NFC that can enhance strength and modulus without sacrifice toughness of nanocomposites. Researchers have suggested that the optimal content could vary from 3 wt% to 5 wt% approximately [45,46]. That is the reason why the content of NFC is fixed at 3 wt% in this work.…”

Preparation and Characterization of Poly(lactic Acid)-based Composite Reinforced with Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fiber and Nanosilica

“…Both peaks at 1210 and 1293 cm -1 were attributed to the OH bending vibrations of cellulose (Siyamak et al 2012). The peak at 1755 cm -1 was attributed to the stretching of C=O of lignin Ching et al 2015). The significant peaks of OPEFB fibers were not observed in the fiber-reinforced PLA composites because they may have been covered by other strong peaks of PLA, given that the amount of fibers was minimal compared to that of the PLA polymer matrix.…”

Fabrication of Porous Materials from Natural/Synthetic Biopolymers and Their Composites

“…Composites can be produced with the view of tailoring physical, chemical, or mechanical properties, to fulfil the requirements of different applications such as automotive, packaging, aeronautic, naval, and so on [48,49]. …”