Effects of ZnO and SiO2 Nanoparticle Additions on the Structural, Water Absorption and Mechanical Properties of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Films

Nanocomposite films were prepared with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a base matrix and ZnO, SiO2 nanoparticles as a filler material. SiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using sol-gel and co-precipitation methods, respectively. PVA-ZnO, PVA-SiO2, and PVA-ZnO-SiO2 hybrid nanocomposite films were prepared by a solution film casting method. The presence of ZnO and SiO2 nanoparticles within the films has been confirmed by structural and morphological analysis of the films. Water solubility, water absorption and tensile strength was evaluated for all the films produced. The addition of both types of nanoparticles in the PVA matrix led to a reduction in water absorption in addition to the water solubility capability of the material when compared to the pure PVA film. Addition of nanoparticles resulted in an increase in the tensile strength of the composite films compared to the pure PVA films by 14%, 23%, and 66% for the PVA-ZnO, PVA-SiO2, and PVA-ZnO-SiO2 films respectively. This work provides a simple route to tune the properties of PVA embedded with metal oxide nanoparticles for food packaging and medical applications.