(213d) Polyvinyl Alcohol/Alpha-Zirconium Phosphate Nanocomposites: Synthesis and Structure-Property Relationship Studies

A series of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/alpha-zirconium phosphate (ZrP) (PVA/ZrP) nanocomposites were prepared by a solution casting approach. ZrP micro-crystals with varying lateral dimensions were synthesized and subsequently exfoliated in an aqueous dispersion to obtain individual ZrP nanoplatelets with a thickness of ca. 0.7 nm and aspect ratios from ca. 100 to 1000. The exfoliated ZrP nanoplatelets were mixed with PVA aqueous solution and cast into thin films for characterizations. Both the concentration and aspect ratio of ZrP nanoplatelets were varied to generate two series of PVA/ZrP nanocomposites for structure-property relationship studies. The thermal, mechanical, and barrier property of the nanocomposites were investigated. The implication of the present findings is discussed.