Ultradrawing of poly (vinyl alcohol)/Graphene oxide nanocomposite fibers toward high mechanical performances

In this study, graphene oxide (GO) reinforced poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite fibers were prepared. In order to achieve the high mechanical properties, the fibers were prepared through a gel process, and subsequently ultradrawn by two-step drawing. In the first stage, the fibers were drawn at 150 degrees C up to a draw ratio (DR) of 50. In the second stage, the drawn fibers were drawn at 220 degrees C to a DR of 58. It was revealed that the PVA crystallites were almost fully oriented in the ultradrawn fibers. The ultradrawn PVA/GO nanocomposite fibers showed excellent mechanical properties that are comparable to those of glass fiber with only 1% wily GO loading. It was suggested that the effective stress transfer was achieved in the ultradrawn PVA/GO nanocomposite fibers due to the strong interaction between highly oriented PVA and highly aligned GO. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.