Abstract
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a thermoplastic synthetic polymer, which, unlike many synthetic polymers, is not obtained by polymerization, but by hydrolysis of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). Due to the presence of hydroxylic groups, hydrophilic polymers such as PVA and its composites made mainly with biopolymers are used for producing hydrogels that possess interesting morphological and physico-mechanical features. PVA hydrogels and other PVA composites are studied in light of their numerous application for electrical film membranes for chemical separation, element and dye removal, adsorption of metal ions, fuel cells, and packaging. Aside from applications in the engineering field, PVA, like other synthetic polymers, has applications in medicine and biological areas and has become one of the principal objectives of the researchers in the polymer domain. The review presents a few recent applications of PVA composites and contributions related to tissue engineering (repair and regeneration), drug carriers, and wound healing.
Highlights
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a thermoplastic polymer that is obtained by the hydrolysis of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and not by polymerization processes like some other synthetic polymers
This review presents the recent studies conducted for the synthesis and application of different PVA products and PVA/bio-polymer composites in various engineering and medicine fields
Due to PVA biocompatibility, composites made of PVA and bio-polymers such as cellulose, chitosan, gelatin, casein, and others with different characteristics have found new interesting applications
Summary
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a thermoplastic polymer that is obtained by the hydrolysis of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and not by polymerization processes like some other synthetic polymers. After soaking in ammonium sulfate solution, the PVA/agar hydrogel bio-composite becomes dense and uniform with stronger H bonds between the polymers; the tensile strength and toughness increased to 18.0 MPa and 42.3 MJ/m3, respectively. Due to PVA biocompatibility, composites made of PVA and bio-polymers such as cellulose, chitosan, gelatin, casein, and others with different characteristics have found new interesting applications. Such films have the potential to be used in biodegradable packaging applications [3]. The hydrogels made of composite PVA/bio-polymers and their nanocomposites that have already begun to be studied and, at a small scale, will increase their possibilities for use in various domains
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