Mechanical Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

Abstract

The properties of polymers are greatly enhanced when they are incorporated with silicate-layered clays as they find many applications in the fields of electronics, automobile industry, packaging, and construction. In this study a thermoplastic polymer poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and montmorillonite (MMT) clay were used to prepare MMT-PVA nanocomposites and their mechanical properties were investigated. In general PVA is used in paper coating and packaging where their tensile strength and tearing strength are vital. The MMT-PVA nanocomposites displayed more than 60% increase in the tensile strength and young’s modulus where as the tearing energy doubles the value of neat PVA. This is a substantial enhancement compared to that reported so far. The enhancement was achieved at low clay content probably due to its exfoliated structure. The dispersed clay layers are well embedded with PVA matrix via strong interatomic interactions leading to better material properties.