Fabrication of highly refractive,transparent BaTiO3/poly(methyl methacrylate) composite films with high permittivities

Incorporation of crystalline barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was carried out to prepare highly refractive polymer nanocomposite films that have transparency and high permittivities. The BT nanoparticles were prepared by hydrolysis of a barium/titanium complex alkoxide in 2‐methoxyethanol, then surface‐modified with a silane coupling agent (3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane) to improve their affinity for PMMA. The incorporation of the surface‐modified nanoparticles into PMMA was performed up to a nanoparticle content almost equivalent to particle close‐packing state. The refractive index of the composite films increased with nanoparticle incorporation, keeping the relative transmittance normalized with PMMA film above 90%. A high refractive index of 1.82 was reached at a nanoparticle content of 53 vol% with a dielectric constant as high as 36 and a dissipation factor as low as 0.05. The results demonstrate that the crystalline BT nanoparticles are useful fillers for effectively increasing both refractive index and dielectric constant of polymer nanocomposites. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Polyimide‐silica nanocomposites exhibiting low thermal expansion coefficient and water absorption from surface‐modified silica

In this study, a commercially available nano‐sized silica (SiO₂) was surface‐modified via esterification with oleic acid (OA), a relatively inexpensive and hydrophobic modifier, and characterized by FTIR, NMR, SEM, EDS, and TGA measurements. Various amounts of the surface‐modified silica nanoparticles (SiO₂‐OA) were dispersed in a poly(amic acid), which were then cyclized at high temperatures to form a series of PI/SiO₂‐OA nanocomposite films (PISA). The effect of the addition of the SiO₂‐OA nanoparticles on the properties of the as‐prepared polyimide nanocomposite was studied. The results indicated that, comparing with pure PI and PI/pristine‐SiO₂ composite film (PISI), the as‐prepared PISA films had enhanced dynamic mechanical properties and thermal stability, as well as reduced water absorption and thermal expansion. The as‐prepared PI/SiO₂‐OA nanocomposites have potential for applications in high performance microelectronic devices. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104, 4096–4105, 2007     

Pyrene‐anchored ZnO nanoparticles through click reaction for the development of antimicrobial and fluorescent polyurethane nanocomposite

This work demonstrates the development of a multifunctional, antimicrobial and fluorescent polyurethane–ZnO hybrid nanocomposite coating with the aid of azide–alkyne click chemistry. Firstly, the surface of ZnO nanoparticles was successfully modified with 3‐azidopropyltriethoxysilane coupling agent. The azide‐terminated nanoparticles were then reacted with separately synthesized propargylpyrene in order to obtain pyrene‐anchored ZnO nanoparticles. The size of the modified nanoparticles was measured using dynamic light scattering and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the thermal stability of the nanoparticles decreased with surface modification. The intensities of UV absorption and fluorescence emission were improved with an increase of pyrene units on the ZnO surface. These nanoparticles were incorporated into a triazole‐rich hyperbranched polyurethane matrix in various weight percentages. It was observed that thermal stability and the intensity of UV absorption and fluorescence emission of the resulting polyurethane nanocomposite hybrid films were improved with loading of the modified nanoparticles. These hybrids are extremely resistant towards various bacterial and fungal attacks, which is attributed to the presence of the ZnO nanoparticles in the coatings. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Development of optically transparent ZnS/poly(vinylpyrrolidone) nanocomposite films with high refractive indices and high Abbe numbers

A series of optically transparent ZnS‐poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) nanocomposite films with high refractive indices and high Abbe numbers have been prepared. Mercaptoethanol (ME) capped ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) were introduced into the PVP polymer matrix via simple blending with high nanophase contents. ME‐ZnS NPs of around 3 nm were prepared from zinc acetate and thiourea precursors in N,N‐dimethylformamide using ME as a capping agent. Transparent nanocomposite films with high refractive indices and high Abbe numbers can be easily prepared by a conventional film casting method. TGA results indicated that the ZnS/PVP nanocomposite films exhibit good thermal stability and the measured contents of ZnS NPs in the films agree well with the theoretical values. The refractive indices and the Abbe numbers of the ZnS/PVP nanocomposite films range from 1.5061 to 1.7523 and 55.6 to 20.4 with the content of ME‐ZnS NPs varied between 0 and 80 wt %, respectively. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Advance polymeric carbon nanocomposite films with enhanced thermo‐mechanical properties

The homogenous nanocomposite films of UV/O₃ oxidized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) subsequently modified with aniline moiety were synthesized with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) through free radical polymerization. The phenylamine functional groups present on the surface of MWCNTs providing an anchoring sites for deposition of Ag metal nanoparticles (NP).The in situ free radical polymerization of MMA in the presence of these well dispersed nanotubes gave a new class of radiation resistant nanocomposite films. The synthesized materials were characterized by FT‐IR, TGA, TEM, EDX, TC, DMA, universal testing machine, and optical microscopy to ascertain their structural morphologies, thermal stability, and mechanical strength. The microscopic and structural properties reflect the homogenous mixing of modified MWCNTs in polymer matrix contributing in enhancement of thermal stability, thermo‐mechanical strength, glass transition temperatures, and thermal conductivity of nanocomposites even at 0.25 wt% addition of modified nanofiller. Thermal and thermo‐mechanical behavior of pre‐ and post‐UV/O₃ irradiated nanocomposite films have been compared with neat polymer. The results revealed that modified nanofiller network can effectively disperse the radiation and has a dramatic reinforcement effect on the nature of degradation of PMMA matrix. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and characterization of TiO2 and polymer nanocomposite films with high refractive index

Novel nanocomposite films of TiO₂ nanoparticles and hydrophobic polymers having polar groups, poly (bisphenol‐A and epichlorohydrin) or copolymer of styrene and maleic anhydride, with high refractive indices, high transparency, no color, solvent‐resistance, good thermal stability, and mechanical properties were prepared by incorporating surface‐modified TiO₂ nanoparticles into polymer matrices. In the process of preparing colloidal solution of TiO₂ nanoparticles, severe aggregation of particles can be reduced by surface modification using carboxylic acids and long‐chain alkyl amines. These TiO₂ nanoparticles dispersed in solvents were found not to aggregate after mixing with polymer solutions. Transparent colorless free‐standing films were obtained by drying a mixture of TiO₂ nanoparticles colloidal solution and polymer solutions in vacuum. Transmission electronic microscopic studies of the films suggest that the TiO₂ nanoparticles of 3–6 nm in diameter were dispersed in polymer matrices while maintaining their original size. Thermogravimetric analysis results indicate that the nanocomposite film has good thermal stability and the weight fraction of observed TiO₂ nanoparticles in the film is in good accordance with that of theoretical calculations. The refractive index of nanocomposite films of TiO₂ and poly(bisphenol‐A and epichlorohydrin) was in the range of 1.58–1.81 at 589 nm, which linearly increased with the content of TiO₂ nanoparticles from 0 to 80 wt %. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Preparation and characterization of silica/polyimide nanocomposite films based on water‐soluble poly(amic acid) ammonium salt

In this article, a series of new silica/polyimide (SiO₂/PI) nanocomposite films with high dielectric constant (>4.0), low dielectric loss (<0.0325), high breakdown strength (288.8 kV mm⁻¹), and high volume resistivity (2.498 × 10¹⁴ Ω m) were prepared by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate in water‐soluble poly(amic acid) ammonium salt (PAAS). The chemical structure of nanocomposite films compared with the traditional pure PI was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction patterns. The results indicated that both the PAAS and the polyamide acid (PAA) material were effectively converted into the corresponding PI material through the thermal imidization and the amorphous SiO₂ was embedded in the nanocomposite films without structural changes. Thermal stability of the nanocomposite films was increased though mechanical property was generally decreased with increasing the mass fraction of SiO₂. All the nanocomposite films exhibited an almost single‐step thermal decomposition behavior and the average decomposition temperature was about 615°C. It was concluded that the effective dispersion of SiO₂ particles in PI matrix vigorously improved the comprehensive performance of the SiO₂/PI nanocomposite films and expanded their applications in the electronic and environment‐friendly industries. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:774–781, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Enhanced thermal and electrical insulation properties of polyimide films determined via a two‐dimensional layered double hydroxide–potassium perfluorooctane sulfonate material

Polyimide (PI) films used in aerospace and rail applications are degraded by thermal, chemical, and electric power under the effect of insulation aging. To prevent these types of degradation, we prepared nanocomposite films of PI and layered double hydroxide (LDH) modified with the potassium perfluorooctane sulfonate (FS) by an in situ method. On the whole, the glass‐transition temperature, dielectric constant (?′), and corona‐resistance lifetime of the nanocomposite films increased over those of the pure PI film, but the temperature at 10 wt % weight loss, breakdown strength, and volume resistance decreased correspondingly as a whole. The PI matrix was protected by the inorganic material of LDH–FS with a high ?′ from corona corrosion. Furthermore, the heat and chemical interactions of the composite films improved the corona‐resistance lifetime, despite the decrease in the breakdown strength; this should result in promising applications for insulation parts of variable‐frequency motors. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46528.     

Synergistic enhancement of mechanical,crystalline and dielectric properties of polyarylene ether nitrile‐based nanocomposites by unidirectional hot stretching–quenching

Copper tetra‐amine phthalocyanine (NH₂‐CuPc) was grafted onto barium titanate (BaTiO₃) whose surface was modified by carboxylic polyarylene ether nitrile (CPEN) to afford a nano‐filler (CPEN‐f‐BaTiO₃@NH₂‐CuPc). Through a solution‐casting method combined with ultrasonic dispersion technology, the obtained CPEN‐f‐BaTiO₃@NH₂‐CuPc was successfully incorporated into biphenyl polyarylene ether nitrile (BP‐PEN) matrix to prepare nanocomposite films with various mass fractions of CPEN‐f‐BaTiO₃@NH₂‐CuPc (0, 2.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 wt%). After that, the nanocomposite films were unidirectionally stretched with various stretching ratios at 280 °C. All the nanocomposite films show excellent mechanical and thermal stability, which is provided by the BP‐PEN matrix. The crystallinity and mechanical, thermal and dielectric properties of the nanocomposite films are efficiently enhanced after the unidirectional hot‐stretching process. The results show that hot‐stretching is a useful method for improving the mechanical and crystallization behaviors as well as the thermal and dielectric properties of the nanocomposite films. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and properties of the amino‐functionalized multiple‐walled carbon nanotubes/polyimide nanocomposites

The 1,6‐hexanediamine‐functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes(a‐MWNTs)/polyimide(PI) nanocomposite films were prepared through in‐situ polymerization followed by mixture casting, evaporation, and thermal imidization. To increase the compatibility of carbon nanotubes with the matrix polyimide, a‐MWNTs was used as the filler. According to the results, a‐MWNTs were homogeneously dispersed in the nanocomposite films. With the incorporation of a‐MWNTs, the mechanical properties of the resultant films were improved due to the strong chemical bonding and interfacial interaction between a‐MWNTs and 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride(ODPA)/4,4′‐Oxydianiline(ODA) polyimide matrix. The thermal stability of the a‐MWNTs/polyimide nanocomposite was also improved by the addition of a‐MWNTs. The electrical tests showed a percolation threshold at about 0.85 vol% and the electrical properties were increased sharply. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and properties of poly[styrene‐co‐(butyl acrylate)‐co‐(acrylic acid)]/silica nanocomposite latex prepared using an acidic silica sol

BACKGROUND: Polyacrylate/silica nanocomposite latexes have been fabricated using blending methods with silica nanopowder, in situ polymerization with surface‐functionalized silica nanoparticles or sol–gel processes with silica precursors. But these approaches have the disadvantages of limited silica load, poor emulsion stability or poor film‐forming ability. RESULTS: In this work, poly[styrene‐co‐(butyl acrylate)‐co‐(acrylic acid)] [P(St‐BA‐AA)]/silica nanocomposite latexes and their dried films were prepared by adding an acidic silica sol to the emulsion polymerization stage. Morphological and rheological characterization shows that the silica nanoparticles are not encapsulated within polymer latex particles, but interact partially with polymer latex particles via hydrogen bonds between the silanol groups and the ? COOH groups at the surface of the polymer particles. The dried nanocomposite films have a better UV‐blocking ability than the pure polymer film, and retain their transparency even with a silica content up to 9.1 wt%. More interestingly, the hardness of the nanocomposite films increases markedly with increasing silica content, and the toughness of the films is not reduced at silica contents up to 33.3 wt%. An unexpected improvement of the solvent resistance of the nanocomposite films is also observed. CONCLUSION: Highly stable P(St‐BA‐AA)/silica nanocomposite latexes can be prepared with a wide range of silica content using an acidic silica sol. The dried nanocomposite films of these latexes exhibit simultaneous improvement of hardness and toughness even at high silica load, and enhanced solvent resistance, presumably resulting from hydrogen bond interactions between polymer chains and silica particles as well as silica aggregate/particle networks. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Novel POBD‐modified organoclay and its polyimide nanocomposites for removal of the Co(II) ion

An organophilic clay has been obtained via cation exchange reaction between sodium montmorillonite and the hydrochloride salt of 2‐(5‐(3,5‐diaminophenyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐2‐yl)pyridine, POBD. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that thermal decomposition of the organophilic clay starts at about 350°C, which shows that it is quite thermally stable compared with conventional montmorillonite modified with aliphatic long chain surfactants. POBD‐modified organoclay almost quantitatively removed the Co(II) ion from aqueous solution at pH = 10.0 (Q_t = 3.00 mg g⁻¹, R = 98.2%). A series of polyimide/clay nanocomposite materials (PCNs) consisting of POBD and benzophenone‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride, BTDA were also prepared by an in situ polymerization reaction via thermal imidization. POBD‐modified organoclay was used as a surfactant at different concentrations. Intercalation of polymer chains within the organoclay galleries was confirmed by WXRD. Both the glass transition temperature and thermal stability are increased with respect to pristine PI at low clay concentrations. At high clay loadings, the aggregation of organoclay particles results in a decrease in T_g and thermal stability. In the SEM images of PCN 1 and 3%, too many micro cracks are observed in the background, and a flower‐shape pattern spreads uniformly over the entire surface. The maximum Co(II) uptake capacity and efficiency were observed at pH 10.0 within a 40‐h period for both PI and PCN films. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Structure and dielectric properties of polyimide/silica nanocomposite nanofoam prepared by solid‐state foaming

In this article, polyimide (PI)/silica nanocomposite nanofoams were prepared by solid‐state foaming using supercritical CO₂ as foaming agent. To control the cell size and morphology of the PI/silica foam, the silica nanoparticles as nucleating agent were in situ formation from TEOS via sol‐gel process, which make the silica nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed in PI matrix. The resulting PI/silica nanocomposite nanofoams were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the image analysis system attached to the SEM and dielectric properties measurements. In PI/silica nanocomposite nanofoams, one type of novel morphology was shown that each cell contained one silica nanoparticle and many smaller holes about 20–50 nm uniformly located in the cell wall. This special structure could visually prove that the nucleation sites during foaming were formed on the surface of nucleating agents. Compared with those of neat PI foam, the cell size of PI/silica nanocomposite nanofoams was smaller and its distribution was narrower. The dielectric constant of PI/silica nanocomposite nanofoams was decreased because of the incorporation of the air voids into the PI/silica nanofoams. While the porosity of PI/silica nanocomposite nanofoam film was 0.45, the dielectric constant of the film (at 1 MHz) was reduced from 3.8 to about 2.6. Furthermore, the dielectric constant of PI/silica nanofoam films remained stable across the frequency range of 1×10²～1×10⁷ H_Z. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42355.     

Nanocomposites of Surface‐Modified BaTiO3 Nanoparticles Filled Ferroelectric Polymer with Enhanced Energy Density

We report nanocomposites of increased dielectric permittivity, enhanced electric breakdown strength and high‐energy density based on surface‐modified BaTiO₃ (BT) nanoparticles filled poly(vinylidene fluoride) polymer. Polyvinylprrolidone (PVP) is used as the surface modification agent and homogeneous nanocomposite films have been prepared by solution casting processing. The dielectric permittivity of the nanocomposite with treated BT is higher than those with untreated BT and reaches the maximum value of 77 (1 kHz) at BT concentration of 55 vol%. The electric breakdown strength of the nanocomposite is greatly enhanced to 336 MV/m at BT concentration of 10 vol% and the calculated energy density is 6.8 J/cm³. The results indicate that using PVP as surface modification agent can greatly enhance the dielectric permittivity and electric breakdown strength of the ceramic–polymer nanocomposite and achieve high‐energy density for energy storage and power capacitor applications.     

Preparation of highly emissive,thermally stable,UV‐cured polysilsesquioxane/ZnO nanoparticle composites

A high molecular weight polysilsesquioxane (LPMSQ)/ZnO nanocomposite was prepared by blending a methacryl‐substituted polysilsesquioxane and PMMA‐coated ZnO nanoparticle (NP) followed by UV‐curing process. These LPMSQ/ZnO nanocomposites gave high thermal and mechanical stabilities originated from the rigid ladder structured siloxane backbone of LPMSQ. The polysilsesquioxane and surface‐modified ZnO nanoparticles showed excellent compatibility between MMA groups in LPMSQ‐ and PMMA‐capped ZnO nanoparticles to give well‐dispersed LPMSQ/ZnO nanocomposites. Mechanically pliant and flexible free standing films were obtained, and the photo and optical properties of these hybrid nanocomposites were examined. The high photoluminescent properties were maintained even after severe thermal treatments exceeding 400°C. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42333.     

Transparent polyimide nanocomposites with improved moisture barrier using graphene

A facile technique was developed to improve the water barrier properties of transparent polyimide (PI) films. Transparent and organo‐soluble PI films were synthesized from an alicyclic tetracarboxylic dianhydride (bicyclo[2.2.2]oct‐7‐ene‐2,3,5,6‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride) and an aromatic diamine (3,4′‐oxydianiline) in a co‐solvent of dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and γ‐butyrolactone via a one‐step process. Thermally reduced graphene (RG) was then blended with the PI in DMAc solution to fabricate PI/RG nanocomposite films without the addition of coupling agent. With the incorporation of only 0.1 wt% highly exfoliated RG in the PI matrix, the resultant PI/RG‐0.1 nanocomposite exhibited a superior barrier to moisture and retained high transmittance in the visible light region. The surface of PI/RG was more hydrophobic than that of pure PI and simultaneously the water vapor transmission rate was significantly reduced to 13 g m^?2 day^?1 for the PI/RG‐0.1 nanocomposite compared to 181 g m^?2 day^?1 for pure PI. Notably, the PI/RG‐0.1 nanocomposite also exhibited favorable thermal stability with a lower coefficient of thermal expansion and a higher thermal degradation temperature compared to pure PI. The easy processing of PI solution and RG nanosheets, the good orientation of RG in PI and the excellent barrier and thermal properties of PI/RG make the transparent PI nanocomposite films potential substrate materials in flexible electronic applications .     

Fabrication of barium titanate nanoparticles‐polymethylmethacrylate composite films and their dielectric properties

A method for incorporating barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is proposed to prepare composite films with a high dielectric constant and high transparency. BT particles with particle sizes of 7.8–24.0 nm and crystal sizes of 8.60–17.7 nm were synthesized with a complex alkoxide method. Surface of the BT particles was modified with 3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane to introduce double bonds that was grafted with PMMA. The PMMA‐grafted BT particles were suspended in PMMA/N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrodinone solution and spin‐coated onto glass substrates to prepare the PMMA/BT composite films. The surface modification gave composite films having smooth surfaces and high transparency. An increase in BT particle size and BT volume fraction in the film tended to increase the dielectric constant while keeping the dissipation factor around 5%. The dielectric constant of the film prepared for a particle size of 24.0 nm at 39 vol% attained a value of 19.8 that was around four times higher than that of the pure PMMA film. The dielectric constants of the BT particles estimated by the application of Lichtenecker's mixing model to the composite films were 75.3, 105.1, and 166.3 for particle sizes of 7.8, 11.0, and 24.0 nm, respectively. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and characterization of UV‐curable ZnO/polymer nanocomposite films

A series of novel nano‐ZnO/polymer composite films with different ZnO contents was prepared through incorporation of pre‐made colloidal ZnO particles into monomer mixtures of urethane‐methacrylate oligomer and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, followed by ultraviolet (UV) radiation‐initiated polymerization. The colloidal ZnO nanoparticles with a diameter of 3–5 nm were synthesized from zinc acetate and lithium hydroxide in ethanol via a wet chemical method. In order to stabilize and immobilize the ZnO particles into the polymer matrix, the ZnO nanoparticles were further capped using 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate. Thermogravimetric analyses show that the ZnO nanoparticles were successfully incorporated into the polymer matrix and these ZnO/polymer composites have a good thermal stability. Transmission electron microscopy studies indicate the ZnO nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in the polymer and they remained at the original size (3–5 nm) before immobilization. All nanocomposite films with ZnO particle contents from 1 to 15 wt% show good transparency in the visible region and luminescent properties. In addition, composite films with high ZnO content (>7 wt%) are able to absorb UV irradiation below 350 nm, indicating that these composite films exhibit good UV screening effects. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Thermal conductivity of polyimide/boron nitride nanocomposite films

The thermal conductivity of polyimide/boron nitride (PI/BN) nanocomposite thin films has been studied for two sizes of BN nanofillers (40 and 120 nm) and for a wide range of content. A strong influence of BN particle size on the thermal conduction of PI has been identified. In the case of the largest nanoparticles (hexagonal‐BN), the thermal conductivity of PI/h‐BN (120 nm) increases from 0.21 W/mK (neat PI) up to 0.56 W/mK for 29.2 vol %. For the smaller nanoparticles (wurtzite‐BN), PI/w‐BN (40 nm), we observed two different behaviors. First, we see a decrease until 0.12 W/mK for 20 vol % before increasing for higher filler content. The initial phenomenon can be explained by the Kapitza theory describing the presence of an interfacial thermal resistance barrier between the nanoparticles and the polymer matrix. This is induced by the reduction in size of the nanoparticles. Modeling of the experimental results allowed us to determine the Kapitza radius a_K for both PI/h‐BN and PI/w‐BN nanocomposites. Values of a_K of 7 nm and >500 nm have been obtained for PI/h‐BN and PI/w‐BN nanocomposite films, respectively. The value obtained matches the Kapitza theory, particularly for PI/w‐BN, for which the thermal conductivity is expected to decrease compared to that of neat PI. The present work shows that it seems difficult to enhance the thermal conductivity of PI films with BN nanoparticles with a diameter <100 nm due to the presence of high interfacial thermal resistance at the BN/PI interfaces. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42461.     

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/CaCO3‐diacid nanocomposite: Investigation of physical and wetting properties and application in heavy metal adsorption

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite and modified CaCO₃ nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated by ultrasound agitation method with particle content altering from 3, 5, and 8 wt %. The CaCO₃ surface was successfully treated by 10 wt % of bioactive dicarboxylic acid (DA). The influences of loading modified NPs on the thermal, mechanical, adsorption, contact angle, and physical properties of the poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite films were thoroughly studied. The results showed that incorporation of modified CaCO₃ into the PVA matrix had better performance than the pure PVA. Meanwhile, tensile strength, Young's modulus, and thermal stability are enhanced from 33.36 MPa, 1.26 GPs, and 242.918C (neat PVA) to 81.7 MPa, 4.81 GPa, and 312.95 °C (PVA/CaCO₃‐DA NC 5 wt %), respectively. Also, the adsorption capacity of the PVA/CaCO₃‐DA NCs 5 and 8 wt % revealed that the NC films could act as an appropriate absorbent for the removal of Cd(II) ions with maximum adsorption capacity of about 20.70 and 25.19 mg g^?1 for Cd(II), respectively. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 45414.