Preparation and characterization of composite resin by vinyl chloride grafted onto poly(BA-EHA)/poly(MMA-St)

Crosslinked poly(butyl acrylate-co-2-ethylhexyl acrylate)/poly(methyl methacrylate-co-styrene) (ACR I) latex was synthesized by multi-stage emulsion polymerization. A series of grafting vinyl chloride (VC) composite latices were prepared by emulsion copolymerization in the presence of core-shell ACR I latex. The effects of ACR I amount and its core/shell ratio on particle diameters of the composite latices and mechanical properties of the prepared materials were investigated. The grafting efficiency (GE) of VC grafted onto ACR I increases with an increasing ACR I content. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) study indicates that ACR I latex particles have a regular core-shell structure obviously. However, when styrene content in the shell of ACR I is more than 70 percent of the shell by weight, ACR I latex particles have an irregular core-shell morphology like sandwich. The composite latex particles synthesized by core-shell ACR I latex grafting VC have a clear three-layered core-shell structure. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) study reveals that the compatibility between ACR I and PVC is well improved. With increasing ACR I content, the loss peak in low temperature range for every composite sample becomes stronger and stronger and gradually shifts to a higher temperature. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) graphs showed that the fractured surface of the composite sample exhibited better toughness of the material. TEM graphs showed that ACR I was uniformly dispersed in the PVC matrix.     

Preparation of atactic poly(vinyl alcohol)/sodium alginate blend nanowebs by electrospinning

Through the blending of a rigid polymer, sodium alginate (SA), and a flexible polymer, atactic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), with various ratios of SA and PVA and through the electrospinning of SA/PVA solutions, SA/PVA blend nanowebs were successfully prepared. The structure and morphology of the SA/PVA blend nanowebs were investigated through a series of instrumental analyses. Through the examination of the morphological variations of each blend web, it was found that with only PVA, the electrospun nanowebs had very uniform and fine fiber structures, but the SA/PVA blend nanowebs had a mixture of large beads and fibers, which were generated with increasing SA content. A thermal analysis indicated that the endothermic peaks of the SA/PVA blend nanowebs decreased with an increase in the SA content. The SA content was determined by the observation of the changes in the SA peak intensity via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The tensile strength decreased with increasing SA content. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Electrically conductive nanocomposites of polyaniline with poly(vinyl alcohol) and methylcellulose

Electrically conductive nanocomposites of HCl‐doped polyaniline (PANI–HCl) nanocolloid particles with water‐soluble and film‐forming polymers such as poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and methylcellulose (MC) were prepared by the redispersion of preformed MC‐coated submicrometric PANI–HCl particles in PVA and MC solutions under sonication for 1 h and the casting of the films from the dispersions followed by drying. The submicrometric polyaniline (PANI) particles were prepared by the oxidative dispersion polymerization of aniline in an acidic (1.25M HCl) aqueous ethanol (30 : 70) medium with MC as a steric stabilizer. The particles contained 4.7 wt % MC and had a conductivity of 7.4 S/cm. They had an oblong shape of 203 nm (length) and 137 nm (breadth). Sonication broke the oblong‐shaped particles to sizes of ～10 nm in the PVA matrix and ～60 nm in the MC matrix. The electrical conductivity of these films was measured, and the percolation threshold was determined. The composites had the characteristics of a low percolation threshold at a volume fraction of PANI of 2.5 × 10^?2 in the PVA matrix and at a volume fraction of 3.7 × 10^?2 in the MC matrix. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Preparation and characterization of graphene oxide/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite nanofibers via electrospinning

Graphene oxide (GO) was well dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) diluted aqueous solution, and then the mixture was electrospun into GO/PVA composite nanofibers. Electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy on the as‐prepared and calcined samples confirm the uniform distribution of GO sheets in the nanofibers. The thermal and mechanical properties of the nanofibers vary considerably with different GO filler contents. The decomposition temperatures of the GO/PVA composite nanofiber dropped by 38–50°C compared with pure PVA. A very small loading of 0.02 wt % GO increases the tensile strength of the nanofibers by 42 times. A porous 3D structure was realized by postcalcining nanofibers in H₂. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol) films with various molecular parameters

The effects of three major molecular parameters of poly(vinyl alcohol)—the number‐average degree of polymerization, degree of saponification, and syndiotactic dyad content—on the characteristics of poly(vinyl alcohol) films were investigated. Various poly(vinyl alcohol) films were prepared by a casting method. Then, the films were characterized with atomic force microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Instron instrumentation. On the basis of atomic force microscopy images and calculated average roughness values, it was determined that the surface roughness of poly(vinyl alcohol) films increased with increasing molecular parameters. The crystallinities obtained with differential scanning calorimetry and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction analyses were also enhanced with increasing molecular parameters, especially the degree of saponification. The tensile properties were improved with higher molecular parameters. This might be ascribed to the fact that the higher the molecular parameters were, the stronger the hydrogen bonding was. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Antibacterial electrospun chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers containing silver nitrate and titanium dioxide

Chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers with antibacterial activity were prepared by the electrospinning of a chitosan/PVA solution with a small amount of silver nitrate (AgNO₃) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂). Nanofibers with diameters of 270–360 nm were obtained. The yield of low‐viscosity chitosan (LCS)/PVA nanofibers was higher than that of high‐viscosity chitosan (HCS)/PVA, and the water content of the HCS/PVA nanofibers and the LCS/PVA nanofibers were 430 and 390%, respectively. The nanofibers developed in this study exhibited antibacterial activities of 99 and 98% against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Preparation of monodispersed silica spheres and electrospinning of poly(vinyl alcohol)/silica composite nanofibers

In this study, monodispersed silica spheres were successfully synthesized by seed‐growth method and they can be highly dispersed in the poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) solution. PVA/silica composite fibers were fabricated by electrospinning the composite solutions containing different amount of silica. Further investigation showed that the size distribution of silica sphere was monodispersed and the spheres were homogeneously dispersed in the fibers individually. The composite fibers showed an uniform and continuous morphology with a average diameter of 298–345 nm. The as‐spun nanofibers were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE‐SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Reactive electrospinning of poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers

We aim to couple the electrospinning in‐line with solution chemistry to fabricate novel crosslinked polymer nanofibers. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was used as a model polymer due to its high amount of hydroxyl groups. To obtain ideal parameters for electrospinning, pure PVA was explored primarily. To gain crosslinked fibers, PVA was first crosslinked partially with glutaraldehyde (GA) followed by transferring this precursor to a long hot tube which was used as reactor and then electrospun right before gelation. The preheating time and tube‐passing time were determined with viscometer and rheometer. The reactive as‐spun fibers could maintain their original morphology after water immersion due to their high crosslinking degree. The thermal stability and mechanical property of reactive as‐spun fibers were improved drastically compared with pure and GA vapor crosslinked PVA fibers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Thermal and structural characterization of nanofibers of poly(vinyl alcohol) produced by electrospinning

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) was obtained from the alkaline hydrolysis of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). Nonwoven membranes (mats) of PVOH nanofibers were produced by electrospinning of solutions of PVOH in water with and without aluminum chloride. The concentration of the PVOH/water solution was 12.4% w/v. The morphology of the mats was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal properties and the degree of crystallinity of the nanofibers were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); the crystal structure of the mats was evaluated by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. The best nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning the PVOH/water solution with aluminum chloride (45% w/v) in which an electrical field of 3.0 kV/cm was applied. It was observed that the addition of the aluminum chloride and the increase in the applied electrical field decreased the number‐average nanofibers diameters. The mats without aluminum chloride had higher melting temperatures and higher degrees of crystallinity than the mats with the salt. The crystal structure of the mats was found to be monoclinic; however, the mats were neither highly oriented nor have a high degree of crystallinity. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Development of conducting polyaniline/poly(lactic acid) nanofibers by electrospinning

Ultrafine fibers consisting of blends of polyaniline doped with p‐toluene sulfonic acid and poly(L ‐lactic acid) were prepared by electrospinning. The presence of polyaniline resulted in fibers with diameters as thin as 100–200 nm and a significant reduction of bead formation. These fibers were visually homogeneous, and this indicated good interactions between the components of the polyaniline/poly(L ‐lactic acid) blend. The high interaction between the components and the rapid evaporation of the solvent during electrospinning resulted in nanofibers with a lower degree of crystallinity in comparison with cast films. The electrical conductivity of the electrospun fiber mats was lower than that of blend films produced by casting, probably because of the lower degree of crystallinity of the polyaniline dispersion and the high porosity of the nonwoven mat. This novel system opens up new and interesting opportunities for applications in biomedical devices, biodegradable materials, and sensors, among other things. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

One-step fabrication of branched poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers by magnetic coaxial electrospinning

Branching has been emerging in 3-D interconnecting building blocks. Branched and hyperbranched poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers were fabricated by coaxially electrospinning two-liquids under an alternating magnetic field in a facile manner. Both the PVA nanofiber trunks with diameter of 100–200 nm and the PVA nanofiber branches with diameter of 10–30 nm were formed in a single step. The length and the morphology of the branched PVA nanofibers could be controlled through a rational design of the magnetic field. The facile technique may readily be extended to prepare 3-D branched nanofibers from other materials such as various polymers and polymer–ceramic materials. Moreover, the multifunctional and multicomponent materials with branched nanostructure could be expected by using the magnetic coaxial electrospinning technique. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Preparation and characterization of ultra‐low molecular weight poly(vinyl alcohol) graft copolymer

Graft reaction of acrylamide (AM) and 4‐vinyl pyridine (4‐VP) onto ultra‐low molecular weight poly(vinyl alcohol) by ceric (IV) ion initiation had been systematically investigated; and the graft conditions were optimized by studying the effect of monomer/initiator concentration, solvents composition, reaction time and temperature. At optimized conditions, the maximum grafting efficiency and grafting ratio was ～ 50% and 51%, respectively with the presence of AM, whereas they decreased to 19% and 23%, respectively, without the presence of AM. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that as‐resulted graft copolymer had a lower thermal stability than homopolymer PVA. FTIR and ¹H‐NMR confirmed chemical structure of as‐synthesized graft copolymer. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Preparation of poly(ether sulfone) nanofibers by gas‐jet/electrospinning

Poly(ether sulfone) (PES) nanofibers were prepared by the gas‐jet/electrospinning of its solutions in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). The gas used in this gas‐jet/electrospinning process was nitrogen. The morphology of the PES nanofibers was investigated with scanning electron microscopy. The process parameters studied in this work included the concentration of the polymer solution, the applied voltage, the tip–collector distance (TCD), the inner diameter of the needle, and the gas flow rate. It was found from experimental results that the average diameter of the electrospun PES fibers depended strongly on these process parameters. A decrease in the polymer concentration in the spinning solutions resulted in the formation of nanofibers with a smaller diameter. The use of an 18 wt % polymer solution yielded PES nanofibers with an average diameter of about 80 nm. However, a morphology of mixed bead fibers was formed when the concentration of PES in DMF was below 20 wt % during gas‐jet/electrospinning. Uniform PES nanofibers with an average diameter of about 200 nm were prepared by this electrospinning with the following optimal process parameters: the concentration of PES in DMF was 25 wt %, the applied voltage was 28.8 kV, the gas flow was 10.0 L/min, the inner diameter of the needle was 0.24 mm, the TCD was 20 cm, and the flow rate was 6.0 mL/h. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Structural insights into a novel molecular‐scale composite of soluble poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) supporting uniformly dispersed nanoscale poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) particles

Structural insights into a novel, molecular‐composite poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) consisting of a soluble, film‐forming poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) polymer and in situ formed, minute, crosslinked, nanoscale, insoluble poly [poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)] (PPVP) polymer particles are reported. A technique for determining the PVP molecular weight and PPVP weight fraction by gel permeation chromatography/multi‐angle light scattering (MALS) is described. Particle size studies by quasi‐elastic light scattering and field flow fractionation/MALS demonstrate that the nanoscale, insoluble polymer particles are nominally 370 and 325 nm in diameter, respectively. Rheological experiments on this dispersed system yield a complex macroscopic behavior. Atomic force microscopy images confirm a substantial heterogeneous nature for a film cast from this molecular‐composite material. Finally, this polymeric molecular composite in film form exhibits, among many other interesting properties, a dramatic enhancement in water resistance, as demonstrated by a simple image water resistance test for an ink‐jet printing application. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 734–741, 2003     

Preparation and characterization of chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) blend fibers

Chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) blend fibers were prepared by spinning their solution through a viscose‐type spinneret at 25°C into a coagulating bath containing aqueous NaOH and ethanol. The influence of coagulation solution composition on the spinning performance was discussed, and the intermolecular interactions of blend fibers were studied by infrared analysis (IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron micrograph (SEM) and by measurements of mechanical properties and water‐retention properties. The results demonstrated that the water‐retention properties and mechanical properties of the blend fibers increase due to the presence of PVA in the chitosan substract, and the mechanical strength of the blends is also related to PVA content and the degree of deacetylation of chitosan. The best mechanical strength values of the blend fibers, 1.82 cN/d (dry state) and 0.81 cN/d (wet state), were obtained when PVA content was 20 wt % and the degree of deacetylation of chitosan was 90.2%. The strength of the blend fibers, especially wet tenacity could be improved further by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. The water‐retention values (WRV) of the blend fibers were between 170 and 241%, obviously higher than pure chitosan fiber (120%). The structure analysis indicated that there are strong interaction and good miscibility between chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) molecular resulted from intermolecular hydrogen bonds. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 2558–2565, 2001     

Release of diclofenac through gluteraldehyde crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid) alloy membranes

A controlled‐release preparation of diclofenac sodium for transdermal administration has been developed. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and PVA/poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) alloy membranes were prepared from a solvent‐casting technique using different PVA/PAA (v/v) ratios. The release of the drug from the membrane was evaluated under in vitro conditions at pH 7.4. The delivery system provided linear release without time lag, burst effect, and boundary layer resistance. Effects of variables such as film thickness and PVA/PAA ratio on the permeation behavior of the polymeric membranes were discussed. The optimal PVA/PAA was determined as 50/50. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 72–77, 2004     

Wetting behavior of electrospun poly(L‐lactic acid)/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite nonwovens

Poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) fibers have been extensively studied for various applications. In this work, PLLA and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared by coelectrospinning to form composite nonwoven materials. The structures and diameter distribution of the electrospun PLLA/PVA composite nonwovens were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The wetting behavior of the electrospun PLLA/PVA composite nonwovens was also investigated using static contact angles and dynamic water adsorption measurements. It was observed that the addition of PVA in the electrospun PLLA/PVA composite nonwovens significantly alerted the contact angles and water adsorption of the composite materials. It was also found that the increase in the content of PLLA led to the increase in the surface contact angle and decrease in water adsorption of the electrospun PLLA/PVA nonwoven materials. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites made from cellulose nanofibers

A method using a combination of ball milling, acid hydrolysis, and ultrasound was developed to obtain a high yield of cellulose nanofibers from flax fibers and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposites were prepared with these additives by a solution‐casting technique. The cellulose nanofibers and nanocomposite films that were produced were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Nanofibers derived from MCC were on average approximately 8 nm in diameter and 111 nm in length. The diameter of the cellulose nanofibers produced from flax fibers was approximately 9 nm, and the length was 141 nm. A significant enhancement of the thermal and mechanical properties was achieved with a small addition of cellulose nanofibers to the polymer matrix. Interestingly, the flax nanofibers had the same reinforcing effects as MCC nanofibers in the matrix. Dynamic mechanical analysis results indicated that the use of cellulose nanofibers (acid hydrolysis) induced a mechanical percolation phenomenon leading to outstanding and unusual mechanical properties through the formation of a rigid filler network in the PVA matrix. X‐ray diffraction showed that there was no significant change in the crystallinity of the PVA matrix with the incorporation of cellulose nanofibers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Electron beam synthesis and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol)/montmorillonite nanocomposites

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/montmorillonite clay (MMT) nanocomposites in the form of films were prepared under the effect of electron beam irradiation. The PVA/MMT nanocomposites gels were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mechanical measurements. The study showed that the appropriate dose of electron beam irradiation to achieve homogeneous nanocomposites films and highest gel formation was 20 kGy. The introduction of MMT (up to 4 wt %) results in improvement in tensile strength, elongation at break, and thermal stability of the PVA matrix. In addition, the intercalation of PVA with the MMT clay leads to an impressive improved water resistance, indicating that the clay is well dispersed within the polymer matrix. Meanwhile, it was proved that the intercalation has no effect on the metal uptake capability of PVA as determined by a method based on the color measurements. XRD patterns and SEM micrographs suggest the coexistence of exfoliated intercalated MMT layers over the studied MMT contents. The DSC thermograms showed clearly that the intercalation of PVA polymer with these levels of MMT has no influence on the melting transitions; however, the glass transition temperature (T_g) for PVA was completely disappeared, even at low levels of MMT clay. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1129–1138, 2006     

Synthesis,characterization, flocculation,and rheological characteristics of hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed polyacrylamide‐grafted poly(vinyl alcohol)

Graft copolymers of poly(vinyl alcohol) and polyacrylamide (PVA‐g‐PAM) were synthesized using a ceric ion–induced solution polymerization technique at 28°C. Three grades of graft copolymers were synthesized with varying acrylamide concentrations. Three grades of hydrolyzed products of PVA‐g‐PAM were synthesized with varying concentrations of sodium hydroxide solution. Hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed PVA‐g‐PAM were characterized by viscometry, X‐ray diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. Rheological investigation was also carried out on the aqueous solutions of various samples. The flocculation characteristics of various materials were investigated by the use of jar and settling tests in 0.25 and 5 wt %, respectively, using kaolin and iron ore suspensions. Among the series of graft copolymers, the one with fewest but longest PAM chains showed superior performance. The flocculation characteristics of the best‐performing graft copolymer were compared with those of various commercially available flocculants in the two suspensions under investigation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 2109–2122, 2006