Fabrication of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Bentonite Nanocomposites Using Sol-Gel Method

This study aimed to find the characteristics of mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/ bentonite nanocomposites. The method used in making nanocomposites is a sol-gel method. The natural bentonite (size of 35.26 nm) obtained from North Sumatra, Indonesia, was added to the solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) with the quantity varied, namely 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 wt %. The nanocomposites yielded were then characterized by using tensile test, scanning electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that the maximum weight of added bentonite, which improved the mechanical properties and produced a more homogenous surface, was 6 wt %, whereas the variation of 2, 4, and 8 wt % of bentonite resulted in a decreased elasticity modulus. However, thermal properties are preferable to improve in the 0 wt % of bentonite.