Abstract
In this paper, composites of PEO/PVP reinforced with different biochar loadings (0, 0.5,1, and 2 wt %) were obtained via the solution casting method. The crystallite size of the blend is increased by increasing the biochar up to 1 wt%. This behaviour is due to the increasing intermolecular interaction between biochar and blend. The strong interaction between C–O/C–O–C of blend and biochar caused altering the crystalline regions deduced from FTIR. The optical properties of the composite are dependent on the biochar content, where the direct and indirect optical band gaps are decreased upon the addition of the biochar up to 1 wt%. The refractive index values at 650 nm increased by increasing biochar concentration in PEO/PVP blend. Urbach tail energy is increased by adding biochar to 1 wt%. This behaviour is because increasing traps in the blend result in a lower energy transition. The effect of different concentrations of the biochar on the blends’ optical parameters such as optical conductivity, optical dielectric constant, and extinction coefficient is also studied. The thermal stability of the blend increased with increasing biochar content up to 1 wt% due to an increased degree of crystallinity. Further addition of biochar reduced the thermal stability of the blend due to aggregation of biochar particles.
Published Version
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