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Studies on transport of vapor and solute molecules through polyvinyl alcohol‐based clay containing nanocomposites
Author(s) -
Sancha Rachna,
Bajpai Jaya,
Bajpai Anil K.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.21073
Subject(s) - materials science , nanocomposite , permeation , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , chemical engineering , polymer , polymer chemistry , monomer , polymerization , solvent , polyvinyl alcohol , in situ polymerization , acrylonitrile , vinyl alcohol , membrane , composite material , organic chemistry , chemistry , copolymer , biochemistry , engineering
The present study focuses on fabricating of polymer–clay nanocomposites by in situ polymerization method and investigating their permeability behavior toward vapor and liquid molecules, thus, to evaluating barrier properties of the nanocomposites. For this purpose, acrylonitrile (AN) monomer was grafted on to poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) chains after the addition of very low amount of fuller's earth (clay) into polymer matrix using a suitable initiator, such as potassium persulphate (KPS), and crosslinker N ‐ N ′ methylene bisacrylamide (MBA). The prepared nanomaterials were characterized by Fourier‐Transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WXRD) techniques. The morphological features of designed materials were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The graft materials impregnated with fuller's earth were examined for their permeability behavior by observing the permeation of solute and vapor molecules from aqueous dye solution and volatile organic solvent, respectively. The composition of the nanocomposites and the amount of fuller's earth content were found to affect the passage of solute and vapor molecules across the nanocomposite membrane. The permeation capacity was quantified by evaluating permeability parameters. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers