Preparation and Characterization of Poly (vinyl alcohol)/Antimony-Doped Tin Oxide Nanocomposites

Abstract

Nanocomposites of poly (vinyl alcohol) and antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) were prepared by solution blending. The PVA composites were characterized by FTIR, TGA, DSC, WXRD and stress-strain testing. It has been found that adding ATO to the matrix has great influence on the crystallization behavior and glass transition temperature of PVA. The mechanical properties of PVA changed with the filler content, exhibiting an initial increase in these properties due to polymer-filler interactions. After a maximum value, at about 5 wt%, the mechanical properties decreased. Thermal stability of the nanocomposites was found to be remarkably enhanced by the incorporation of ATO.