Abstract
This study aims to investigate the effects on calcination of Sepia officinalis cuttlefish bone (cuttlebone) to enhance reinforcement of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) added with nano-size montmorillonite (MMT) blends as potential bio-compatible materials. The polyvinyl alcohol-cuttlebone-montmorillonite nanocomposites were prepared using the solution casting method. Calcined cuttlebone particles were added to the PVOH matrix at different amount of 2 and 5 parts per hundred resin (phr) along with MMT ranging from 1 to 3 phr. Results showed that the tensile strength of cuttlebone-added PVOH-MMT composites at fixed 1 phr MMT was observed to be marginally lower when the cuttlebone increased from 2 phr to 5 phr due to the poor distribution of agglomerated particles. Nevertheless, at higher loading level of MMT, it was found that the addition of cuttlebone at 5 phr exhibited a reinforcing effect in PVOH-MMT blends. This is consistent with the scanning electron microscopy observation, where dispersion of a higher amount of cuttlebone in PVOH-MMT blends was observed to be more homogeneous than a lower amount of cuttlebone. Moreover, based on the X-ray diffraction analysis, the addition of cuttlebone significantly enhanced the intercalation effect of MMT particles in the PVOH matrix. Furthermore, the observation from infrared spectroscopy shows the amount of hydroxyl group for all composites reduced gradually with the increasing amount of cuttlebone. The addition of cuttlebone showed a “red shift” effect, indicating the formation of hydrogen bonds induced by cuttlebone. Lastly, lower enthalpy of melting was detected in relation to higher loading level of cuttlebone embedded in PVOH-MMT blends through differential scanning calorimetry. In conclusion, the blending of cuttlebone in PVOH-MMT is favorable to obtain better properties of composites.
Highlights
Biodegradable polymers, which are known as biopolymers, are defined as polymers that can be decomposed in the presence of enzymes or microorganisms under aerobic or anaerobic conditions
When different amounts of MMT were incorporated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) at the fixed 2 phr calcined cuttlebone loading level, the highest tensile strength was observed with a value of 41 MPa when 1 phr of MMT was added
The reduced tensile strength was attributed to the non-homogeneous distribution of MMT on the PVOH matrix
Summary
Most plastic materials used are generally derived from petroleum or natural gas. These polymers are non-degradable and tend to accumulate in landfills after being used. Biodegradable polymers have gained tremendous attention from researchers over the past decades. Many studies have been carried out to develop environmentallyfriendly materials [1]. Biodegradable polymers, which are known as biopolymers, are defined as polymers that can be decomposed in the presence of enzymes or microorganisms under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Biopolymers possess high versatility, microbiological degradability, and a diversity of applications, especially in the biomedical field [2]
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