Studies on the mechanical, thermal, morphological and barrier properties of nanocomposites based on poly(vinyl alcohol) and nanocellulose from sugarcane bagasse

Nanocomposites from poly(vinyl alcohol) [PVA] in linear and crosslinked state were synthesized using varying proportions of bagasse extracted nanocellulose. These were characterized by tensile, thermal, X-ray diffraction (XRD), moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR), and morphological studies. Crosslinked PVA and linear PVA nanocomposite exhibited highest tensile strength at 5 wt.% and 7.5 wt.% of nanocellulose respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies showed higher thermal stability of nanocomposite made of crosslinked PVA and nanocellulose with respect to linear PVA and nanocellulose. TEM and AFM studies confirm the formation of nanocomposites while the SEM images show the dispersion of nanocellulose particles in them.