High performance biopolymer blend nanocomposites derived from cashew gum/polyvinyl alcohol/boehmite for flexible electronic devices

This work reports on a bio-based polymer blend comprised of polyvinyl alcohol/cashew gum (PVA/CG) embedded with boehmite nanoparticles to tailor the structural, thermal, mechanical properties, and electrical response. The chemical bonding between boehmite and the PVA/CG blend was confirmed by FTIR. The XRD data showed that the nanocomposite films had distinct peaks of boehmite. The SEM images revealed uniformly dispersed morphology at 5 wt% boehmite. The elemental composition of blend nanocomposites was revealed by the EDX analysis. The thermal stability of the blend increases with increasing boehmite, whereas the glass transition temperature decreases. The highest AC conductivity was achieved for PVA/CG/7 wt% boehmite, which was 4.6 times greater than the pure blend. The frequency and temperature-dependent dielectric constant, modulus and impedance of all films were examined in conjunction with different nanoparticle loadings. Tensile strength and hardness have improved with the addition of boehmite into the PVA/CG blend whereas the elongation at break slightly decreases. The PVA/CG blend had a tensile strength of 31.17 MPa, which increased to 44.66 MPa when 7 wt% boehmite was added. Therefore, eco-friendly PVA/CG/boehmite films with good thermal stability, mechanical strength, dielectric constant, and conductivity could be a practical green substitute for flexible electronic, charge storage, and electrochemical devices.

Automated summary

This work presents the development of a bio-based polymer blend, PVA/CG, embedded with boehmite nanoparticles to enhance its structural, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. The presence of boehmite in the blend was confirmed through FTIR and XRD analysis. SEM images showed uniform dispersion of boehmite at 5 wt%. The addition of boehmite increased the thermal stability and electrical conductivity of the blend, while slightly decreasing the glass transition temperature. Tensile strength and hardness improved with the incorporation of boehmite, making the PVA/CG/boehmite films a potential substitute for flexible electronic and electrochemical devices.