Abstract
The thermoplastic processing and mechanical properties of starch and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites were studied. Glycerol was chosen as the plasticizer and nano-silica (nano-SiO2) as the reinforcing agent of the starch/PVA composites. The results showed that the mechanical properties of the obtained starch/PVA blend were best when the glycerol content was 30% of starch and 20% of PVA, and the weight ratio of PVA and starch was 0.8 (wPVA/ wstarch= 0.8/1). After the addition of nano-SiO2, the mechanical properties of the starch/PVA blends were improved. When the weight percent of nano-SiO2was 2%, the mechanical properties of the SiO2/starch/PVA composite were most excellent. It was shown that the tensile strength was increased by 16% and the elongation increased by 72%. Moreover, it was confirmed by rheological measurements that nano-SiO2could interact with the composite materials, which results in the improvement of the mechanical strength of the starch/PVA composites.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
