Chapter 4
PVA Bionanocomposite Films
with Different Particle Shapes
and Structures
Abstract In this chapter, three different types of nanoparticles, namely 1D Cloisite
30B MMT clay nanoplatelets, 2D halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and 3D nanodiameter bamboo charcoals (NBCs), were employed to investigate the impact of nanoparticle shapes and structures on the material performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)
bionanocomposite films from the perspectives of mechanical and thermal properties, morphological structures and nanomechanical behaviour. The overall results
revealed superior reinforcement efficiency of NBCs to both Cloisite 30B clays and
HNTs owing to their typical porous structures to actively interact with PVA matrices
in the combination of strong mechanical and hydrogen bondings. 3D NBCs also
achieved better nanoparticle dispersibility when compared with 1D Cloisite 30B
clays and 2D HNTs along with higher thermal stability, which was attributed to
larger interfacial regions when characterised for the nanomechanical behaviour of
corresponding bionanocomposite films. This chapter offers an insightful guidance to
an appropriate selection of nanoparticles as effective reinforcements and the further
sophisticated design of bionanocomposite materials.
Keywords Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) · Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) · Clay
nanoplatelets · Bamboo charcoals (BCs) · Bionanocomposites · Nanostructures ·
Material characterisation
4.1 Introduction
Nanoparticles in spheroidal, platelet-like and tubular shapes as effective nanofillers
have drawn great attention to materials engineers and researchers in the field of
nanocomposite materials over last few decades [1, 2]. The incorporation of those
different types of nanoparticles into continuous polymer matrices has been proven to
significantly alter the properties of base polymers, resulting in a novel-class system of
polymer nanocomposites with superior properties and excellent functionalities [1, 2].
In general, when incorporated with a small fraction of nanoparticles being less than
This chapter takes the most of content materials from authors’ published research article ‘The role
of nanoparticle shape and structures in materials characterisation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)
bionanocomposite films’ Polymers 12 (2020)264 under Creative Commons Attribution License.
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Mousa and Y. Dong, Multiscaled PVA Bionanocomposite Films,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8771-9_4
83
PVA Bionanocomposite Films
with Different Particle Shapes
and Structures
Abstract In this chapter, three different types of nanoparticles, namely 1D Cloisite
30B MMT clay nanoplatelets, 2D halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and 3D nanodiameter bamboo charcoals (NBCs), were employed to investigate the impact of nanoparticle shapes and structures on the material performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)
bionanocomposite films from the perspectives of mechanical and thermal properties, morphological structures and nanomechanical behaviour. The overall results
revealed superior reinforcement efficiency of NBCs to both Cloisite 30B clays and
HNTs owing to their typical porous structures to actively interact with PVA matrices
in the combination of strong mechanical and hydrogen bondings. 3D NBCs also
achieved better nanoparticle dispersibility when compared with 1D Cloisite 30B
clays and 2D HNTs along with higher thermal stability, which was attributed to
larger interfacial regions when characterised for the nanomechanical behaviour of
corresponding bionanocomposite films. This chapter offers an insightful guidance to
an appropriate selection of nanoparticles as effective reinforcements and the further
sophisticated design of bionanocomposite materials.
Keywords Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) · Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) · Clay
nanoplatelets · Bamboo charcoals (BCs) · Bionanocomposites · Nanostructures ·
Material characterisation
4.1 Introduction
Nanoparticles in spheroidal, platelet-like and tubular shapes as effective nanofillers
have drawn great attention to materials engineers and researchers in the field of
nanocomposite materials over last few decades [1, 2]. The incorporation of those
different types of nanoparticles into continuous polymer matrices has been proven to
significantly alter the properties of base polymers, resulting in a novel-class system of
polymer nanocomposites with superior properties and excellent functionalities [1, 2].
In general, when incorporated with a small fraction of nanoparticles being less than
This chapter takes the most of content materials from authors’ published research article ‘The role
of nanoparticle shape and structures in materials characterisation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)
bionanocomposite films’ Polymers 12 (2020)264 under Creative Commons Attribution License.
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Mousa and Y. Dong, Multiscaled PVA Bionanocomposite Films,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8771-9_4
83