Humidity-Responsive Polyvinyl Alcohol/Microcrystalline Cellulose Composites with Shape Memory Features for Hair-Styling Applications

Abstract

This study investigates the maintenance of humidity-responsive shape memory polymer composites comprising polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose microcrystal for maintaining hair curls in humid environments. The composite films are prepared by a simple blending method using aqueous solutions of different polymer ratios and characterized for thermal properties, chemical structure, and surface morphology. The hydroxyl groups in the PVA and cellulose provided hydrogen-bonding interactions and improved the miscibility of the composites. Increasing the cellulose content in the composites enhanced mechanical properties and curl-shape recovery performance, with 20–25 wt.% cellulose achieving maximum recovery. When the PVA/cellulose solution is applied to natural hair, it effectively maintains the shape of curled hair bundles for at least 6 h under 80% humidity and promotes the hair shape recovery rate to 8–10%. Overall, The proposed humidity-responsive PVA/cellulose composites present promising application potential in the field of hairstyling to withstand humid weather.