Electrospun Bilayer of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Cellulose Triacetate Fibers for Reinforcement of Paper

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose triacetate (CTA) polymer solutions were electrospun to form nanofibers and microfibers, respectively. The bilayer of nano/micro fibers was prepared by electrospinning PVA nanofibers on the paper followed by electrospinning CTA microfibers on the top of a PVA nanofiber layer. The structure of electrospun fibers was observed by FE-SEM and mechanical properties of electrospun layers and bilayers were characterized to investigate split resistance, tensile index, folding endurance, and reversible preservability. The strength of damaged paper could be restored by applying the PVA nanofiber/CTA microfiber bilayer to paper and the nano/micro bilayer was easily detached by the exposure to moisture for a short period of time.