Preparation and characterization of PVA/clay composite films

Abstract

Three poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA)/clay composite films, i.e. PVA/smectite (SMT), PVA/montmorillonite (MMT) and PVA/mica (MIC), were prepared from mixtures of an aqueous PVA solution and clay dispersion using the cast and dry method. The PVA/MMT-intercalated composite film exhibited thermal stability higher than the PVA/SMT or PVA/MIC composite film, although SMT or MIC elements were homogeneously dispersed in the original aqueous dispersions. The enhancement of thermal stability of the PVA/MMT composite film is likely to be attributed to the dispersed structure of MMT elements in the PVA matrix and relatively large aspect ratios of the MMT particles.