Synthesis, Characterization and Mechanical Properties of Poly (vinyl acetate)/Boehmite Nanocomposites via Emulsion Polymerization

In this study, poly (vinyl acetate) (PVAc) containing boehmite nanoparticles were synthesized by an emulsion polymerization strategy. The prepared nanocomposites were analyzed by FT-IR, UV-visible, XRD, optical microscopy, AFM, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, DSC and TGA. Tensile testing techniques and impedance spectroscopy were used to investigate the impact of nanoparticles on the mechanical and electrical properties of PVAc. The characteristic peak of boehmite in the polymer was identified by FT-IR spectra. The optical bandgap energy decreases while the refractive index increases sharply with the addition of boehmite up to 7 wt% loadings. The semicrystalline structure of the composite system was revealed by the XRD pattern. The addition of boehmite to PVAc increases the surface roughness measured by AFM. The FE-SEM and optical microscopy confirmed the presence of uniformly distributed nanoparticles in the polymer. The results from HR-TEM confirm the structural variation of PVAc with the nano-size distribution of boehmite. DSC results revealed that increasing the nanoparticle content increased the glass transition temperature of the polymer nanocomposites. TGA results revealed that the presence of boehmite in the polymer matrix significantly improved the thermal stability of PVAc. The findings of the mechanical test indicate that the tensile strength and Young's modulus of polymer composites was improved by increasing the concentration of nanoparticles. The electrical property data reveal that increasing the frequency decreased the dielectric constant while increased the AC electrical conductivity. Overall, the results showed that the prepared nanocomposite with high tensile strength, conductivity, and dielectric constant can be used to fabricate optoelectronic devices and EMI shielding.

Automated summary

In this study, PVAc containing boehmite nanoparticles was synthesized using an emulsion polymerization strategy. The addition of boehmite changed the optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of PVAc, making it suitable for fabricating optoelectronic devices and EMI shielding materials.