Hydrogel composite of poly(vinylalcool) with unmodified montmorillonite

Abstract

Crosslinked poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) hydrogel composites based on algerian hydrophilic natural Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT) nanoclay named Maghnite-Na (Mag-Na) were prepared in aqueous media, without utilization of chemical crosslinking agents, by repeated cycles of freezing and thawing. The morphology of hydrogel composites and their swelling in water at different amount of Mag-Na were investigated. The characterization of obtained hydrogel composites by X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed a remarkable increase of the basal distance of Mag-Na in PVA hydrogels. Therefore, Intercalated and exfoliated morphology was observed for prepared composites hydrogels of PVA. The infra-red (FTIR) characterization results showed that some interactions have been developed between the hydroxyl groups of PVA chains and Mag-Na in composite hydrogels. Introducing Mag-Na into PVA hydrogel affected their swelling. Increased amount of Mag-Na decreased the equilibrium degree of swelling and equilibrium water content.