Polyvinyl Chloride Polymer Research Articles

Imidazole and imidazolium functionalized poly(vinyl chloride) blended polymer membranes reinforced by PTFE for vanadium redox flow batteries

A novel blended polymer membrane is prepared by a facile route for using as the diaphragm in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The polymers polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) are first blended in a 1.2:1 mol ratio to give a PVP-PVC mixture, and the PVC in the mixture is then functionalized with 1-(3-aminopropyl)-imidazole (APIm). The functionalized polymers are impregnated into the porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to fabricate membranes. The obtained membranes possess superior affinity to sulfuric acid mainly due to acid-base interactions between APIm groups and sulfuric acid molecules. The presence of hydrophobic PTFE restricts the deterioration of mechanical strength of membranes by doped acids. Moreover, the prepared membranes exhibit high oxidation stability and low vanadium permeability. The VRFB assembled with the proposed diaphragm displays energy efficiency above 82 % at a current density range of 20 to 120 mA cm−2. The membrane-based VRFB demonstrates stable performance after over 50 charge–discharge cycles.

Synthesis, optical characteristics, and gamma-ray protection competence evaluation of polyvinyl chloride reinforced basalt nanocomposites

In this study, new PVC (polyvinyl chloride) polymers doped with different contents of basalt nanoparticles have been prepared. The PVC was mixed with concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 50 wt%) of basalt nanoparticles utilizing the casting method. The samples coded as PB0.0, PB5.0, PB10.0, PB15.0, PB20.0, and PB50.0. The density of the casted samples increased from 1.38 to 2.18 g/cm3 with increasing basalt nanoparticle concentrations. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the prepared samples showed a good dispersion with small basalt concentrations in the while some agglomerations were found with the highest basalt concentrations in the mixture. The values of the direct optical energy gap varied from 3.0 to 3.5 eV, while the refractive index values changed from 2.39 to 2.27. The gamma-ray shielding parameters were evaluated using the Phy-X/PSD software program as well as the MCNP – code. The most critical results showed that the linear-attenuation coefficient (μ) increased from 14.421 to 23.862 cm−1 (at 0.015 MeV), and from 0.030 to 0.048 cm−1 (at 15 MeV) for PB0.0 and PB50.0 samples, respectively. Moreover, the evaluation of other gamma - ray shielding characteristics showed an enhancement with the addition of the basalt nanoparticles. Besides, neutron cross section was also calculated, and results revealed that PB0.0 is 0.086 cm−1 and PB50.0 is 0.104 cm−1. Finally, the obtained results concluded that the γ -ray, and neutron shielding capacities were enhanced with the increase in basalt nanocomposites amount in the fabricated composites.

PVC polymer/ZnO/NiO/Co3O4 nanocomposites: Toward improved optical properties

AbstractUndoped and doped polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with zinc, nickel and cobalt oxides, ZnO/[(1−x)NiO/xCo3O4], composites were fabricated using co‐precipitation and casting techniques. The different phases present in the nanofiller ZnO/[(1−x)NiO‐xCo3O4] mixed oxides were determined using synchrotron x‐ray diffraction technique. X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis techniques were used to investigate the structure, composition, and morphology of pure and loaded PVC with nanofiller oxides. In general, compared with pure PVC, the absorbance was greatly enhanced, especially in the UV region, upon loading ZnO/[(1−x)NiO‐xCo3O4], but it changed irregularly with the cobalt oxide (Co3O4) content (x). The direct and indirect optical band gaps of pristine PVC (4.14, 4.12 eV) reduced irregularly to minimum values 3.97 and 3.23 eV respectively for the polymer doped with ZnO/[0.3NiO/0.7Co3O4]. The refractive index was enhanced in the visible and IR regions and attained its highest value for PVC doped with zinc oxide/nickel oxide (ZnO/NiO) only (x = 0.0). NiO and Co3O4 ratios affect the linear and nonlinear optical parameters. The emitted spectra from pure and doped PVC polymers with the composite oxides [ZnO/[(1−x)NiO‐xCo3O4] under different excitation wavelengths were also explored. The FL intensity enhanced for the excitation wavelengths (λexc) = 380 and 434 nm but quenched for λexc = 317 nm. The loaded polymers absorb UVA, UVB, and UVC rays and are good candidates for solar cell applications.

Blending of the Thermodynamically Incompatible Polyvinyl Chloride and High-Pressure Polyethylene Polymers Using a Supercritical Fluid Anti-Solvent Method (SEDS) Dispersion Process.

The experimental solubility data of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and high-pressure polyethylene (HPPE) in organic solvents (toluene, dichloromethane, and chloroform) at temperatures ranging from 308.15 to 373.15 K at atmospheric pressure are reported in the present paper. The solubility of the polymers (PVC and HPPE) in organic solvents (toluene, dichloromethane, and chloroform) was studied at temperatures between 298 and 373 K. The supercritical SEDS dispersion of PVC and HPPE polymer blends at pressures between 8.0 and 25 MPa and at temperatures from 313 to 333 K are reported in the present work. The kinetics of crystallization and phase transformation in polymer blends obtained by blending in a melt, and using the supercritical SEDS method, have been studied. The effect of the HPPE/PVC ratio on the thermal and mechanical characteristics of the polymer blends has been studied. For all studied polymer blends and pure polymers obtained using the SEDS method, the heat of fusion ΔfusH exceeds the values obtained by blending in the melt by 1.5 to 5) times. The heat of fusion of the obtained polymer blends is higher than the additive value; therefore, the degree of crystallinity is higher, and this effect persists after heat treatment. The relative elongation decreases for all polymer blends, but their tensile strength increases significantly.

Potential applicability of Jatropha curcas leaves in bioethanol production and their composites with polymer in wastewater treatment

Among the biggest issues facing the world now are fuel shortages and water contamination. Therefore, the goal of the current study was directed to produce bioethanol from Jatropha curcas leaves and use the residual wastes in the form of composite sheets for crystal violet (CV) removal. The leaves were collected from Jatropha curcas, irrigated by various irrigation sources; sewage-water (A), sewage-water-sludge (B), and tap water (C). The acid hydrolysis (4% H2SO4) of these leaves demonstrated that the hydrolysis of the Jatropha curcas leaves (A) produced higher values of total reducing sugars (≈ 21 g/l) than other leaves (B &C). Moreover, the bioethanol concentrations obtained from the fermentation of this hydrolysate (A) at the bioreactor scale using Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (≈10 and 7 ml/l, respectively) were relatively increased compared to the flask level (≈7 and 5 ml/l, respectively). Afterwards, the unhydrolyzed wastes were dried, grinded, and embedded in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymer forming sheets. The sheets were characterized using FT-IR, SEM, swelling, and porosity. The highest CV removal percent of 95.39%, after optimization, was achieved at 100 ppm crystal violet concentration using 2.5 g/l from PVC-A composite sheet after 180-min contact time.

Innovative reference materials for method validation in microplastic analysis including interlaboratory comparison exercises

Reference materials (RMs) are vital tools in the validation of methods used to detect environmental pollutants. Microplastics, a relatively new environmental pollutant, require a variety of complex approaches to address their presence in environmental samples. Both interlaboratory comparison (ILC) studies and RMs are essential to support the validation of methods used in microplastic analysis. Presented here are results of quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) performed on two types of candidate microplastic RMs: dissolvable gelatin capsules and soda tablets. These RMs have been used to support numerous international ILC studies in recent years (2019–2022). Dissolvable capsules containing polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), and polystyrene (PS), in different size fractions from 50 to 1000 µm, were produced for one ILC study, obtaining relative standard deviation (RSD) from 0 to 24%. The larger size fraction allowed for manual addition of particles to the capsules, yielding 0% error and 100% recovery during QA/QC. Dissolvable capsules were replaced by soda tablets in subsequent ILC studies and recovery test exercises because they were found to be a more reliable carrier for microplastic RMs. Batches of soda tablets were produced containing different single and multiple polymer mixtures, i.e., PE, PET, PS, PVC, polypropylene (PP), and polycarbonate (PC), with RSD ranging from 8 to 21%. Lastly, soda tablets consisting of a mixture of PE, PVC, and PS (125–355 µm) were produced and used for recovery testing during pretreatment of environmental samples. These had an RSD of 9%. Results showed that soda tablets and capsules containing microplastics >50 µm could be produced with sufficient precision for internal recovery tests and external ILC studies. Further work is required to optimize this method for smaller microplastics (< 50 µm) because variation was found to be too large during QA/QC. Nevertheless, this approach represents a valuable solution addressing many of the challenges associated with validating microplastic analytical methods.

Fabrication and characterization of different braid‐reinforced PVC hollow fiber membranes to use in membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment

AbstractIn this research, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymer was applied for the first time in the fabrication of braid‐reinforced hollow fiber membranes for ultrafiltration applications. Different concentrations of PVC solutions were cast on tubular braids and coagulated by the phase inversion method in a pure water bath to produce membranes with various porosities and pore sizes. The characterizations such as scanning electron microscopy, overall porosity, contact angle and mean pore size were done to understand membrane morphology. The antifouling property of membranes was explained using bovine serum albumin (BSA). The contact angles of membranes were increased from 64.9° ± 2.2 to 72.8° ± 2.1, while the overall porosity decreased from 43.8 ± 1.2% and 19.6 ± 3.3% for 11 wt% and 17 wt% PVC membranes, respectively. Permeate flow decreased due to decreased pore size of membranes as a result of increased PVC content. Besides, the flux recovery ratio, reversible and irreversible fouling studies showed that better antifouling characteristics observed with increasing of PVC content. A high removal efficiency of 87.2% for BSA was also demonstrated by the optimal membrane (15 wt% PVC), along with an increased flux recovery ratio of 96.6%. After investigating the rejection of COD in a membrane bioreactor setup, all membranes revealed that they were higher than 98%.

Biodegradation of Oil-Based Plastic Wastes by Bacteria Isolated from Fish Breeding Tanks

Several studies have shown that certain microbes, mainly bacteria may have the ability to digest plastic wastes. The goal of this study was to see how well Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus lentus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Sphingomonas paucimobilis and Kocuria paedia degrade three kinds of oil-based plastics: low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene (PS) and polyvinylchloride (PVC) polymer sheets. The experiment was conducted for 30 days under laboratory conditions with occasional shaking at 180 rpm and 32°C. Biodegradation was measured in terms of weight loss.. Accordingto IR Spectroscopy, the C-H stretch band at 2920cm-1 improved as a result of bacterial degradation of polyethylene. The most affected polymers were LDPE and PVC films. While PS films were the least affected polymers. B. subtilis was shown to be the most successful of the five bacterial species, whereas K. paedia was determined to be the least effective.

Environmentally Friendly Polymer Concrete: Polymer Treatment, Processing, and Investigating Carbon Footprint with Climate Change.

Climate change is being currently faced globally; controlling the plastic waste and gas emission is aimed to reduce their hazardous effects. In this work, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymer wastes are used as fillers to calcium silicate. Chemical treatment was performed to get the best efficiency of the binder material with the treated PET (TPET) and treated PVC (TPVC). The used silicate, new nonhydraulic dicalcium silicate, was synthesized by sintering. A new environmentally friendly polymer concrete, based on different concentrations of PET-/TPET-/PVC-/TPVC-dicalcium silicate composites, was prepared and cured by carbonation. FTIR analysis confirms that the treatment gave functional groups on the polymer surface; also, the hydrophilicity was increased after treatment. SEM photos show that the treated polymers have a rougher surface, which led to improved attachment with cement. The structures of the prepared and cured cement materials are proved by XRD, FTIR analysis, and SEM, through the change of calcium silicate to carbonate. Carbon footprint is used to analyze the environmental implications of the prepared composites. After the treatment reaction, the TPET-cement and TPVC-cement composites showed improved compression and flexural properties and more stability against water absorption. The novelty arises from recycling this plastic waste in the proposed low-energy dicalcium silicate cement, for the first time, to give improved environmentally friendly composites after converting CO2 gas to carbonates, with the reduced carbon footprint.

Evaluation of polymer inclusion membranes based on PVC containing HDEHP as a carrier for aqueous tetracycline transportation

The polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) are an economical alternative to the several advanced wastewater treatments previously employed for tetracycline (TC) remediation. This study investigates the potential of PIM consisting of an anionic-charged Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (HDEHP) carrier embedded in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for aqueous TC microcontaminant remediation. FT-IR, SEM, porometry, water uptake, and contact angle PIM's properties were evaluated. The optimum HDEHP-PIM proved to be physically and chemically stable after prolonged transportation experiments with a mass loss ranging from 0.46 ± 0.02 to 10.13 ± 0.50 %. The extraction and transportation efficiency obtained at a low TC concentration of 5 mg/L was 79 and 77 % using the optimum PIM containing 50 % HDEHP carrier and at optimum conditions. The study shows that self-plasticised PVC polymer embedded with HDEHP carrier satisfactorily transports low residue TC better than the previously reported self-plasticised PVC-Aliquat 336 carrier. Furthermore, the HDEHP-PIM was highly selective and more stable in an acidic than in an alkaline media. The study also shows that increasing the stirring speed enhances the transportation efficiency and duration with an accumulation factor of 11.17 ± 1.04 and 7.86 ± 5.61 % at 500 and 700 rpm, respectively. Hence, significant transportation of low TC concentration using cost-effective self-plasticised HDEHP-PIM is feasible. However, further investigation is required for improved performance, reduced transportation duration, and stability studies based on PIM reusability.

Degradation of polyvinyl chloride by a bacterial consortium enriched from the gut of Tenebrio molitor larvae

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a carbon backbone synthetic plastic containing chlorine element, is one of six widely used plastics accounting for 10% global plastics production. PVC wastes are recalcitrant to be broken down in the environment but release harmful chlorinated compounds, causing damage to the ecosystem. Although biodegradation represents a sustainable approach for PVC reduction, virtually no efficient bacterial degraders for additive-free PVC have been reported. In addition, PVC depolymerization by Tenebrio molitor larvae was suggested to be gut microbe-dependent, but to date no additive-free PVC degraders have been isolated from insect guts. In this study, a bacterial consortium designated EF1 was newly enriched from the gut of Tenebrio molitor larvae, which was capable of utilizing additive-free PVC for its growth with the PVC-mass reduction and dechlorination of PVC. PVC films inoculated with consortium EF1 for 30 d were analyzed by diverse polymer characterization methods including atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscope, water contact angle, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis technique, and ion chromatography. It was found that bio-treated PVC films were covered with tight biofilms with increased –OH and –CC- groups and decreased chlorine contents, and erosions and cracks were present on their surfaces. Meanwhile, the hydrophilicity of bio-treated films increased, but their thermal stability declined. Furthermore, Mw, Mn and Mz values were reduced by 17.0%, 28.5% and 16.1% using gel permeation chromatography, respectively. In addition, three medium-chain aliphatic primary alcohols and their corresponding fatty acids were identified as PVC degradation intermediates by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Combing all above results, it is clear that consortium EF1 is capable of efficiently degrading PVC polymer, providing a unique example for PVC degradation by gut microbiota of insects and a feasibility for the removal of PVC wastes.

Plastic biodegradation by in vitro environmental microorganisms and in vivo gut microorganisms of insects.

Traditional plastics, such as polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PUR), and other plastic polymers, are difficult to degrade and are gradually accumulated in the environment to cause a serious environmental problem, which is urgently needed to develop novel treatments or control technology. The biodegradation of plastics has gained great attention due to the advantages of green and safe characteristics. Microorganisms play a vital role in the biodegradation of plastics, including environmental microbes (in vitro) and gut microbes of insects (in vivo). Microbial degradation in environmental conditions in vitro is extremely slow for major plastics at degradation rates on the basis of a month or even a year time, but recent discoveries show that the fast biodegradation of specific plastics, such as PS, PE, and PUR, in some invertebrates, especially insects, could be enhanced at rates on basis of hours; the biodegradation in insects is likely to be gut microbial-dependent or synergetic bioreactions in animal digestive systems. This review comprehensively summarizes the latest 7-year (2016-2022) publications on plastic biodegradation by insects and microorganisms, elucidates the mechanism of plastic degradation in insects and environmental microbes, and highlights the cutting-edge perspectives for the potential applications of plastic biodegradation.

Membrane formation of PVC and PVDF-HFP polymer blend

To investigate a polymer blend membrane PVDF-HFP (Poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)) mixed with PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) membrane is prepared using the solution casting method. To find the miscibility of two polymers PVDF-HFP and PVC have been studied by X-RD. To comprehend the optical behaviour of blend polymers, their UV absorption and extinction coefficient were used. It is useful to describe how strongly chemical species absorbs light. Electrochemical impedance spectra of blended polymer reveal interaction between two polymers and conductivity was measured. The optimum concentration of PVC: PVDF-HFP (75:25) blend polymer shows the maximum electrical conductivity value is σ = 7.3347 × 10−09 Scm−1.

Chitosan with PVC polymer for biomedical applications: A bibliometric analysis

Chitosan (CS) is a natural and biopolymer that are suitable biomedical properties such as; biocompatibility, non-toxicity, biodegradability and bioactive polymer that’s reason with a very large application (fabrication of biomedical scaffolds, implants). Some of the biocompatible thermoplastic polymers (PLA, PEEK, PLGA, PE, PP, PMMA, PET and etc.) are most widely used in biomedical field as per their properties from last two decades. Poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) thermoplastic polymer are most widely used in medical field but there are some limitations of their uses. For enhancement of PVC thermoplastic polymers properties sometimes add some bioactive and biocompatible fillers or other bioactive thermoplastic polymers. In this review paper try to link and discussed about the possible reinforcement CS in PVC thermoplastic polymer for biomedical applications.

Compressive Performance of Fiber Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete by Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Polyvinyl Chloride Composite Jackets

The development of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) provides a new approach to limiting the waste of natural resources. In the present study, the mechanical properties and deformability of RACs were improved by adding basalt fibers (BFs) and using external restraints, such as a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) jacket or a PVC pipe. Samples were tested under axial compression. The results showed that RAC (50% replacement of aggregate) containing 0.2% BFs had the best mechanical properties. Using either BFs or PVC reinforcement had a slight effect on the loadbearing capacity and mode of failure. With different levels of BFs, the compressive strengths of the specimens reinforced with 1-layer and 3-layer basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) increased by 6.7%–10.5% and 16.5%–23.7%, respectively, and the ultimate strains increased by 48.5%–80.7% and 97.1%–141.1%, respectively. The peak stress of the 3-layer BFRP-PVC increased by 42.2%, and the ultimate strain improved by 131.3%, relative to the control. This reinforcement combined the high tensile strength of BFRP, which improved the post-peak behavior, and PVC, which enhanced the structural durability. In addition, to investigate the influence of the various constraints on compressive behavior, the stress-strain response was analyzed. Based on the analysis of experimental results, a peak stress-strain model and an amended ultimate stress-strain model were proposed. The models were verified as well; the result showed that the predictions from calculations are generally consistent with the experimental data (error within 10%). The results of this study provide a theoretical basis and reference for future applications of fiber-reinforced recycled concrete.

Physical Properties and Transmitted Sunlight of Polyvinyl Chloride/ZnO Nanocomposites Films

The optical properties of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PVC/Zinc Oxide (ZnO) films were considered with different amounts of ZnONPs (0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004 and 0.005) g. Using a Tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution all films be prepared by casting method. XRD results showed the amorphous structure of PVC film and Hexagonal crystalline structure of ZnO NPs, PVC/ZnO nanocomposites appear as pattern of PVC films so the peaks of ZnO don’t appear in it. FESEM image of PVC, ZnO and structure of PVC/ZnO nanocomposites seems to have cluster aggregates in different size. FTIR spectra revealed that ZnONPs had no effect on the polymer structure as there are no covalent bonds between PVC and ZnO NPs. Increasing the amounts of ZnONPs was seen to improve the optical properties (Absorbance, absorption coefficient and extinction coefficient) for PVC polymer. PVC polymer transmittance and energy gap decreased from 5.25 eV to 4.98 eV with increasing the amounts of ZnO NPs in nanocomposites. The solar radiation intensity in Baghdad was measured at a rate of 1 hour for the pure PVC films and PVC/ZnONPs for seven consecutive days in a rate from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M. (13 h). As can be observed, all films have the same ratio of transmitted radiation strength to sunlight intensity for all hours and days.

Robust Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy Method for the Identification and Quantification of Phthalates in Fragments of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Toys

An efficient nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based method was developed to detect and quantify the presence of phthalates in plastic fragments obtained from a children’s toy and cosmetic product containers. Bis-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate (BEHP) was present at a concentration of 8.5% w/w in the plastic toy residue. This indicates levels of phthalates above the permitted threshold (e.g., <0.1% w/w) imposed by EU and USA regulations restricting the use of plasticizers in plastic toys for children aged 0 to 3 years. An added value of this method is that the tetramethylsilane (TMS) internal standard present at a concentration of 2.2 mmol/L in commercially available CDCl3 solvents may be conveniently used for the quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) analysis. The protocol described here is highly reproducible and may be easily applied to large scale investigations of plasticizers content into polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymers.

ВЛИЯНИЕ КОМПАТИБИЛИЗАТОРА И СКОРОСТИ ПЕРЕМЕШИВАНИЯ НА ФИЗИКО-МЕХАНИЧЕСКИЕ СВОЙСТВА СМЕСИ ПОЛИМЕРОВ НА ОСНОВЕ ПОЛИВИНИЛХЛОРИДА И ПОЛИЭТИЛЕНА

This piece of work has investigated features of deformation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) polymer blends, resulted in the presence of two types of compatibilizers, and made a comparative assessment of the elastic strength characteristics of the blends versus their variations produced in the intensity of mixing components in the melt. The effect of plasticization of PVC with dioctyl phthalate was found at increased speed of stirring, expressed by a decrease in the modulus of elasticity and stress at the yield point. For mixtures with a PVC matrix in the absence of a compatibilizer, an increase in the PE content leads to a drop in stress at the yield point and elongation at break; for equal mixture compositions with intense mixing, the deformation curves show a combination of the yield zone and orientational ordering.

Heavy Metal Removal with NanoTiO2/Chitosan Modified Poly(Vinylidene Chloride)

Background: Heavy metal contamination of water resources has been identified as one of the most serious environmental issues. Chemical modification of hydrophobic polymer matrices is another approach for changing their surface properties for water treatment. The addition of nanoparticles to polymers alters surface characteristics such as adsorption capacity, adhesion, catalytic ability, and wettability to heavy metals in wastewater. Objective: Evaluation of the nanomodified polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymer as a heavy metal adsorbent from wastewater. Methods: In the field of emission discharges from industries and domestic wastes that contain unknown inorganic pollutants by PVC using grafting chitosan/TiO2 nanocomposites. The characterization of different thin films was performed using TEM, XRD, and FTIR. The metal concentrations were measured by using inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES). Results: Nanomodification of PVC was evaluated by infrared spectroscopy. The presence of chlorine in the PVC structure before and after the nanomodification is confirmed by the presence of a peak at 690 cm-1 attributed to the axial deformation of the C-Cl bond. The nanomodified PVC showed an ion exchange capacity of 1.27 mmol-1 , and efficiently removed the heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The heavy metal removal effectiveness (R) was improved by increasing the concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles. The amount adsorbed per gram of adsorbent (Qe) was computed and revealed that the amount of adsorption increased for nanomodified PVC thin film as compared to 100% PVC thin film. The nanomodified PVC thin film showed high stability for 4 cycles of use. This improvement has been attributed to the nanomodified PVC polymer's large surface area (ranging from 0.3 to 282 m2 /g). Conclusion: The modification of PVC with nanoparticles increases the cost of PVC thin film by 15%. However, it offers efficiency 3 times than the original PVC.

Development of Finite Element Models of PP, PETG, PVC and SAN Polymers for Thermal Imprint Prediction of High-Aspect-Ratio Microfluidics.

Polymeric microstructures and microchannels are widely used in biomedical devices, optics, microfluidics and fiber optics. The quality, the shape, the spacing and the curvature of microstructure gratings are influenced by different mechanisms and fabrication techniques used. This paper demonstrates a cost-effective way for patterning high-aspect-ratio thermoplastic microstructures using thermal imprint technology and finite element modeling. Polymeric materials polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) were chosen for the experimental investigations. A finite element model was constructed to define the most suitable parameters (time, heating temperature, pressure, etc.) for the formation of microstructures using the thermal imprint procedure. To confirm the relevance of the finite element model, different types of PP, PETG, PVC and SAN microstructures were fabricated using theoretically defined parameters. Experimental investigations of imprinted microstructures’ morphological and optical properties were performed using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and a diffractometer. Obtained results confirmed the relevance of the created finite element model which was applied in the formation of high-aspect-ratio microstructures. Application of this model in thermal imprint would not only reduce the fabrication time, but also would highly increase the surface quality and optical properties of the formed structures.