Dielectric and Material Properties of Poly (Vinyl Alcohol): Based Modified Red Mud Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract

Red mud emerges as the major waste material during production of alumina from bauxite by the Bayer’s process. Based on economics as well as environmental related issues, enormous efforts have been directed worldwide towards red mud management issues i.e. of utilization, storage and disposal. The present research work has been undertaken with an objective to explore the use of red mud as a reinforcing material in the polymer matrix as a low cost option. The silicate layered red mud was organophilized by aniline formaldehyde and to know the effect of various filler loading on the material properties of PVA-organophilized red mud composites, prepared by a conventional solvent casting technique and comparison of the same with that of the virgin poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), various characterizations was done. The modified red mud was typically characterized by X-ray diffraction. The X-ray diffraction pattern of the composite materials was also studied. The morphological image of the composite materials was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to characterize the dispersion of the red mud within the composite materials. The surface topography of the composite materials was studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The dielectric properties of composite materials were investigated in wide frequency ranges from 1 MHz to 1 GHz.