Photocatalytic degradation of poly(ethylene oxide) and polyacrylamide

The photocatalytic degradation of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and polyacrylamide (PAM) was investigated using combustion synthesized nano‐sized TiO₂ catalyst (CSN‐TiO₂). The degradation was conducted with two different UV lamps of 125 and 80 W. Degradation of PEO was observed in both the cases, whereas PAM degraded only when exposed to lamp of higher power, even in the presence of catalyst. Gel permeation chromatography was used to determine the molecular weight distribution. Continuous distribution kinetics was applied to determine the kinetics of the photodegradation process. The degradation rate coefficients of the polymers in the presence of combustion synthesized TiO₂ were higher than the degradation rate coefficients obtained with commercially available TiO₂ (Degussa P‐25). The enhanced degradation rate of the polymers when catalyzed by CSN‐TiO₂ can be due to the nano‐size, high surface area, and the presence of hydroxyl groups on the surface of the catalyst. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3997–4003, 2006     

Structural characterization of hydrophilic polymer blends/montmorillonite clay nanocomposites

The nanocomposite films comprising polymer blends of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with montmorillonite (MMT) clay as nanofiller were prepared by aqueous solution casting method. The X‐ray diffraction studies of the PVA–x wt % MMT, (PVA–PVP)–x wt % MMT, (PVA–PEO)–x wt % MMT and (PVA–PEG)–x wt % MMT nanocomposites containing MMT concentrations x = 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 wt % of the polymer weight were carried out in the angular range (2θ) of 3.8–30°. The values of MMT basal spacing d₀₀₁, expansion of clay gallery width W_cg, d‐spacing of polymer spherulite, crystallite size L and diffraction peak intensity I were determined for these nanocomposites. The values of structural parameters reveal that the linear chain PEO and PEG in the PVA blend based nanocomposites promote the amount of MMT intercalated structures, and these structures are found relatively higher for the (PVA–PEO)–x wt % MMT nanocomposites. It is observed that the presence of bulky ester‐side group in PVP backbone restricts its intercalation, whereas the adsorption behavior of PVP on the MMT nanosheets mainly results the MMT exfoliated structures in the (PVA–PVP)–x wt % MMT nanocomposites. The crystallinities of the PEO and PEG were found low due to their blending with PVA, which further decreased anomalously with the increase of MMT concentration in the nanocomposites. The decrease of polymer crystalline phase of these materials confirmed their suitability in preparation of novel solid polymer nanocomposite electrolytes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40617.     

Intermolecular interactions between bovine serum albumin and certain water‐soluble polymers at various temperatures

Viscometric behaviors of dextran (Dx), poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) (PVP), and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in aqueous solutions have been studied at 25, 30, and 35°C. The reduced viscosity and intrinsic viscosity have been experimentally measured for the polymer/water and polymer/BSA/water systems by classical Huggins equation. Measurements of reduced viscosities of the Dx, PVP, and PEO in water have been calculated and all intrinsic viscosities of PEO([η]_PEO) are larger than that of Dx([η]_Dx), and PVP([η]_PVP) in aqueous solutions, at all temperatures. The intrinsic viscosities of PVP, PEO, and Dx were found to be dependent on the concentration of BSA. The presence of BSA (0.05, 0.10, and 0.30 wt %) led to a decrease in the intrinsic viscosities of polymers, at 25, 30, and 35°C. The concentration difference of BSA (Δ[BSA]) is most effective in decreasing the intrinsic viscosities of Dx at 25°C and PEO at 30 and 35°C. In other words, Δ[η] (%) order followed as Dx > PEO > PVP at 25°C and PEO > Dx > PVP at 30 and 35°C. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 1554–1560, 2006     

Free volume defects and transport properties of mechanically stable polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane embedded poly(vinyl alcohol)‐poly(ethylene oxide) blend membranes

Polymer membrane based gas transport and pervaporation processes are fast growing areas in separation technology and have received wide attention as areas of ‘clean technology’. Mechanically stable novel polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) embedded poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blend membranes were prepared by solution blending followed by casting. The addition of carboxymethyl cellulose enhanced the interfacial activities of the PVA and PEO blends. The peripheral organic substituent on POSS plays a key role in achieving compatibility with polymers whereas the rigid Si–O–Si core of POSS imparts high mechanical strength. Compared to PVA membrane, poly(ethylene glycol) and octa(tetramethylammonium) functionalized POSS embedded PVA/PEO membranes exhibit 680% and 580% enhancement in Young's modulus as well as 130% and 140% improvement in tensile strength respectively. The Einstein, Kerner and Frankel–Acrivos models were applied to compare the experimental and theoretical Young's modulus of PVA‐PEO/POSS membranes. The presence of an ethylene oxide tail on POSS as well as PEO in the blend membrane enhances the CO₂ affinity of the membrane. The presence of a hydrophilic functional group on the POSS improves the hydrophilicity of the membrane and produces more binding sites for water molecules in the membrane during the pervaporation separation of a tetrahydrofuran–water azeotropic mixture. The transport properties of the membrane are further elucidated by means of free volume defect analysis carried out by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and coincidence Doppler broadening spectroscopy. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of the type of polymer functional groups on the structure of its film formed on the alumina surface – Suspension stability

The effects of polymer functional group and solution pH on stability of colloidal Al₂O₃ water suspension were studied. Both the nonionic polymers: polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyethylene oxide (PEO) and the ionic ones: polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyacrylamide (PAM), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were used in the experiments. The following methods were applied: turbidimetry (stability measurements), spectrophotometry (determination of polymer adsorption), viscosimetry (thickness of polymer adsorption layer), potentiometric titration (solid surface charge density) and microelectrophoresis (potential zeta). It was shown that anionic polyacrylic acid is both the most effective stabilizer (at pH 9) and flocculant (at pH 3) of the alumina suspension. Its carboxyl groups have the greatest affinity for the surface active sites (the largest adsorption) of all functional groups present in the other examined polymers. The latter, i.e. hydroxyl (PEG, PEO, and PVA) and acetate (PVA) show a much lower affinity for the Al₂O₃ surface (negligible adsorption) and minimally affect the stability of the alumina-solution system.     

Miscibility of poly(vinyl alcohol)/polyacrylamide blends before and after gamma irradiation

Films of polymer blends having various contents of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and polyacrylamide (PAM) were prepared by the solution casting technique using water as a common solvent. The thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of these blends before and after exposure to various doses of gamma radiation, up to 100 kGy, have been investigated. The visual observation and reflectance measurements show that PVA/PAM blends are miscible over a wide range of composition. Moreover, the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms show only a single glass transition temperature (T_g), but not those of PVA or PAM homopolymers, giving further support to the complete compatibility of such blends. The T_g of PVA/PAM blends decreases with increasing content of PAM but increases after exposure to gamma irradiation, indicating the occurrence of crosslinking. These findings were demonstrated by the scanning electron micrographs of the fracture surfaces and the tensile mechanical properties. The TGA thermograms and percentage mass loss at different decomposition temperatures show that unirradiated PVA homopolymer possesses higher thermal stability than PAM homopolymer and their blends within the heating temperature range investigated, up to 250 °C. An opposite trend is observed within the temperature range 300–500 °C. In general, the thermal stability of homopolymers or their blends improves slighly after exposure to an irradiation dose of 100 kGy. These findings are clearly confirmed by the calculated activation energies of the thermal decomposition reaction of the homopolymers and the blends. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Ionomeric blends of poly(ethylene oxide) with poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) ionomer: Miscibility,crystallization, and melting behavior

The miscibility and crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) ionomer (SMAI) blends were studied by the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This study has demonstrated that the presence of ion–dipole interactions enhances the miscibility of otherwise immiscible polymers in the PEO and high molecular weight poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) (SMA). The effect of ion–dipole interactions on enhancing miscibility is confirmed by the presence of a single glass transition temperature (T_g) and a depression of the equilibrium melting temperature of the PEO component. The equilibrium melting temperature of PEO in the blends are obtained using Hoffman‐Weeks plots. The interaction energy density, β, is calculated from these data using the Nishi‐Wang equation. The results suggest that PEO and SMAI blends are thermodynamically miscible in the melt. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1–7, 2000     

Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) influence on mechanical,thermal, and degradation properties of PLA/PBSeT blends

Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is an important biodegradable plastic with unique properties. However, its widespread application is hindered by its low miscibility and suboptimal degradation properties. To overcome these limitations, we investigated the mechanical, thermal, and degradation properties of PLA and poly (butylene sebacate-co-terephthalate) (PBSeT) blends in the presence of poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO). Specifically, this study aimed to identify the effects of PEO as a compatibilizer and hydrolysis accelerator in PLA/PBSeT blends. PLA (80%) and PBSeT (20%) were melt blended with various PEO contents (2–10 phr), and their mechanical, thermal, and hydrolytic properties were analyzed. All PEO-treated blends exhibited a higher elongation at break than that of the control sample, and the tensile strength was slightly reduced. In the PEO 10% sample, the elongation at break increased to 800% of that of the control sample. Differential scanning chromatography (DSC) analysis confirmed that when PEO was added to the PLA/PBSeT blends, the two glass transition temperatures (T_g) narrowed, resulting in improved miscibility of PLA and PBSeT. In addition, the hydrolytic degradation of the PLA/PBSeT/PEO blend accelerated as the PEO content increased. It was confirmed that PEO can act as a compatibilizer and hydrolysis-accelerating agent for PLA/PBSeT blends.     

Thermal stability and deformation of poly(acrylic acid)–metal oxides

In this work, we investigated the thermal stability and deformation of the compound of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and metal oxides (ZnO, CaO, CuO, Al₂O₃, and Cr₂O₃). The kinetic parameters of the desorption of water from PAA–metal oxide were calculated. The activation energies of the water desorption of PAA–metal oxide were less than 5 kcal/mol. The order of bonding capability of oxygen (PAA–O–metal) and water was PAA–CaO > PAA–ZnO > PAA–CuO > PAA–Cr₂O ₃ > PAA–Al₂O₃. The reaction types of the composites were clarified. Incorporating metal oxide into PAA increased the thermal stability. The factors which influence the mechanical properties of the composites, e.g., the chemical compositions, curing environment, and curing time, were also studied. The various curing environments (pure water, 0.1N HCl, 0.1N NaOH, and methanol) decreased the compressive strength of PAA—metal oxide. Moreover, the thermal stability and compressive strength of PAA–ZnO and PAA–CuO reached an optimum because of their crosslinking nature. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 2021–2027, 1997     

Hyperbranched Poly(Glycidol)-Grafted Silica Nanoparticles for Enhancing Li-Ion Conductivity of Poly(Ethylene Oxide)

Silica nanoparticles bearing hyperbranched polyglycidol (hbP) grafts are synthesized and blended with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) for the fabrication of composite solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) for enhancing Li-ion conductivity. Different batches of hbPs are prepared, namely, the 5th, 6th, and 7th with increasing molecular weights using cationic ring-opening polymerization and grafted the hbPs onto the silica nanoparticles using quaternization reaction. The effect of end functionalization of hbP-grafted silica nanoparticles with a nitrile functional group (CN–hbP–SiO₂) on the ionic conductivity of the blends with PEO is further studied. High dipole moments indicate polar nature of nitriles and show high dielectric constants. Among all the hbPs, the 6th-batch CN–hbP–SiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit better ionic conductivity on blending with PEO showing ionic conductivity of 2.3 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 80 °C. The blends show electrochemical stability up to 4.5 V versus lithium metal.     

Poly(vinyl alcohol)-clay and poly(ethylene oxide)-clay blends prepared using water as solvent

Montmorillonite (MON) was solvent-cast blended with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) using water as cosolvent. The structure and properties of the blend films have been investigated. From small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements of the blends, the silicate layers of MON are found to be well dispersed individually in the PVA-MON blends, while the silicate layers in PEO-MON blends are found to exist in the form of a large clay tactoid. Furthermore, for both blends, it is found that the silicate layers are parallel to the film surface of the blends, and that preferred orientation of polymer crystallites is induced by the presence of MON. The effects of the MON content on the thermal behavior of the PVA- and PEO-MON blends have been studied with a differential scanning calorimeter. Furthermore, the effects of geometry of the silicate layers on dynamic behavior of the blends have been studied. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 573–581, 1997     

Interfacial modification mechanism of nanocellulose as a compatibilizer for immiscible binary poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(ethylene oxide) blends

We undertook this study to understand reinforcement mechanism of short cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and long cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) as compatibility agents for improving the interfacial miscibility of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blends. The effects of the two cellulose nanofibers on the morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties of the polymer blends were compared systematically. The light transparency, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared results show that nanocellulose between PVA and PEO eliminated the negative effects generated by the immiscible interface through increased hydrogen bonding. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry results show that crystalline region reorganization around the interface facilitated the shift of the polymer blends from multiple phases to a homogeneous phase. According to the Halpin‐Kardos and Quali models, we assumed that the potential for repairing the immiscible interface would have a larger effect than the potential of reinforcement. At the same concentration, polymer blends with CNCs showed greater light transparency, strength, modulus, and crystal structure than with those with CNFs. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45896.     

Preparation and characterization of polymer‐Ti3C2Tx (MXene) composite nanofibers produced via electrospinning

MXene, a recently‐discovered family of two‐dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and/or nitrides, have attracted much interest because of their unique electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. In this study, poly(acrylic acid), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and alginate/PEO were electrospun with delaminated Ti₃C₂ (MXene) flakes. The effect of small additions of delaminated Ti₃C₂ (1% w/w) on the structure and properties of the nanofibers were investigated and compared with those of the neat polymer nanofibers using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Ti₃C₂ had an effect on the solution properties of the polymer and a greater effect on the average fiber diameter. The Ti₃C₂T_x/PEO solution exhibited the largest change in viscosity and conductivity with an 11% and 73.6% increase over the base polymer, respectively. X‐ray diffractograms demonstrated a high degree of crystallization for Ti₃C₂/PEO and a slight decrease in crystallinity for Ti₃C₂/PVA. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45295.     

A high‐resolution solid‐state NMR investigation of molecular mobility of poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)/poly(ethylene oxide) ternary blends

The ternary blends of poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)/poly(ethylene oxide), PMMA/PVP/PEO, were prepared by melting process, using a Haake plastograph, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) was used as a methodology to characterize the molecular mobility of blend components, because NMR has several techniques that allow us to evaluate polymeric materials in different time scales. The NMR results showed that the blends were miscible on a molecular level. The values of proton lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame (T₁ρH) indicate that the ternary blend interaction did not reduce the intermolecular distance, because it is dipole–dipole. The molecular motion of each component, even in the miscible amorphous phase and the addition of PEO, has a definitive effect on the PMMA molecular mobility. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 1492–1495, 2006     

Study of the miscibility and crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(vinyl alcohol) blends

The miscibility and crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PEO/PVA) blends were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and polarizing optical microscopy. Because the glass‐transition temperature of PVA was near the melting point of PEO crystalline, an uncommon DSC procedure was used to determine the glass‐transition temperature of the PVA‐rich phase. From the DSC and DMA results, two glass‐transition temperatures, which corresponded to the PEO‐rich phase and the PVA‐rich phase, were observed. It was an important criterion to indicate that a blend was immiscible. It was also found that the preparation method of samples influenced the morphology and crystallization behaviors of PEO/PVA blends. The domain size of the disperse phase (PVA‐rich) for the solution‐cast blends was much larger than that for the coprecipitated blends. The crystallinity, spherulitic morphology, and isothermal crystallization behavior of PEO in the solution‐cast blends were similar to those of the neat PEO. On the contrary, these properties in the coprecipitated blends were different from those of the neat PEO. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1562–1568, 2004     

Synthesis of nonionic flocculants by gamma irradiation of mixtures of polyacrylamide and poly(ethylene oxide)

The synthesis of polyacrylamide (PAM) graft poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) has been investigated and the reaction conditions were varied by gamma irradiation to optimize polystyrene latex flocculation by the copolymers. The effects of the gamma ray dosage, the PEO chain length, the ratio of PEO to PAM, and the crosslinking degree of copolymer were studied. The most effective flocculant was obtained by exposing a mixture of 1.2 wt % PAM (M_w = 5 × 10⁶) and 0.94 wt % PEO (M_w = 5000) to 816 krad of gamma radiation. The resulting copolymer contained 24 wt % PEO. Crosslinking to give insoluble gels was an undesirable side reaction increased with γ-ray dose and decreased with PEO addition. The most effective flocculants contained more than 15 wt % PEO with little crosslinking. The grafting behavior of triblock copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (E_mP_nE_m, where m and n are oxyethylene and oxypropylene unit, respectively), onto PAM by gamma radiation was also studied; grafting occurred but effective flocculants were not obtained. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Thermostabilizing effect of copper(II) bromide on poly(ethylene oxide) in their binary blends

Thermoanalytical (thermogravimetry, differential thermogravimetry, and differential thermal analysis) and structural (IR spectroscopy, light microscopy, etc.) methods were employed to estimate the thermal behavior of binary blends of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with copper(II) bromide (CuBr₂) of various concentrations under the conditions of a broad temperature interval. Solid residues obtained after heating the blends at different characteristic stages of the thermal destruction were also studied. CuBr₂ introduced in concentrations of 5–10% exhibited a significant thermostabilizing effect on PEO in an air medium, regardless of the mode of the blend preparation. No data about the formation of crystallizing complexes or new compounds prepared from the starting materials on heating the blends were obtained within the concentration range studied (0.1–40% CuBr₂). An assumption for the formation of associations between the oxygen atoms of PEO and the metal ion, which obstruct the thermal oxidation processes to a certain degree, were made in order to explain the antioxidative mechanism of action of the inorganic salt. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 3324–3330, 1999     

Correlation between interactions, miscibility, and spherulite growth in crystalline/crystalline blends of poly(ethylene oxide) and polyesters

Crystalline/crystalline blend systems of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and a homologous series of polyesters, from poly(ethylene adipate) to poly(hexamethylene sebacate), of different CH₂/CO ratios (from 3.0 to 7.0) were examined. Correlation between interactions, miscibility, and spherulite growth rate was discussed. Owing to proximity of blend constituents' T_g's, the miscibility in the crystalline/crystalline blends was mainly justified by thermodynamic and kinetic evidence extracted from characterization of the PEO crystals grown from mixtures of PEO and polyesters at melt state. By overcoming experimental difficulty in assessing the phase behavior of two crystalline polymers with closely spaced T_g's, this work has further extended the range of polyesters that can be miscible with PEO. The interaction parameters (χ₁₂) for miscible blends of PEO with polyesters [poly(ethylene adipate), poly(propylene adipate), poly(butylene adipate), and poly(ethylene azelate) with CH₂/CO = 3.0-4.5] are all negative but the values vary with the polyester structures, with a maximum for the blend of PEO/poly(propylene adipate) (CH₂/CO = 3.5). The values of interactions are apparently dependent on the structures of the polyester constituent in the blends; interaction strength for the miscible PEO/polyester systems correlate in the same trend with the PEO crystal growth rates in the blends.     

Preparation of PAM/PVA blending films by solution-cast technique and its characterization: a spectroscopic study

Polyacrylamide (PAM) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were blended with different weight percentages (70/30, 50/50, 30/70) using solution-cast technique. The prepared films were studied by different characterization techniques. The effect of PVA content on PAM blends was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ultra violet visible (UV–vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Different mechanical properties of blends were also studied. Significant changes were observed in FTIR, UV–vis, TGA, SEM and mechanical analysis which revealed interactions between the two polymers. FTIR spectra showed the presence of hydrogen bonding between PAM and PVA and hydrophilic nature of the blends. Different optical properties were studied by UV–vis spectroscopy. The weight loss, as a function of temperature of blends, was analyzed by TGA. The results obtained from different experimental techniques were supported by SEM image analysis. FTIR analysis confirmed the conclusion on the specific hydrogen bonding between –CONH₂ groups in PAM and –OH group in PVA. These results showed the change in the thermal stability and mechanical properties. FTIR analysis revealed that a blend ratio of 50/50 wt% had maximum intermolecular interaction between two polymers. It was finally concluded that blend films with the above ratio display higher thermal stability and improved mechanical properties. Due to changes in interactions, the optical parameters were also changed.     

Miscibility of C60-end-capped poly(ethylene oxide) with poly(vinyl chloride)

The miscibility of blends of single [60]fullerene (C₆₀)-end-capped poly(ethylene oxide) (FPEO) or double C₆₀-end-capped poly(ethylene oxide) (FPEOF) with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) has been studied. Similar to poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), both FPEO and FPEOF are also miscible with PVC over the entire composition range. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the development of a new low-binding-energy Cl2p doublet and a new high-binding-energy O1s peak in FPEO/PVC blends. The results show that the miscibility between FPEO and PVC arises from hydrogen bonding interaction between the α-hydrogen of PVC and the ether oxygen of FPEO. From the melting point depression of PEO, FPEO or FPEOF in the blends, the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters were found to be −0.169, −0.142, −0.093 for PVC/PEO, PVC/FPEO and PVC/FPEOF, respectively, demonstrating that all the three blend systems are miscible in the melt. However, the incorporation of C₆₀ slightly impairs the interaction between PEO and PVC.