Facile fabrication and characterization of novel polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene glycol/aluminum nitride nanocomposites

Abstract In the current study, novel polyvinyl alcohol‐based films with polyethylene glycol as a plasticizer and aluminum nitride (AlN) nanoparticles (0.1–0.5 wt%) as a reinforcing agent were fabricated by facile solution casting route. The prepared composite films were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X‐ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Additionally, morphology, water contact angle, and optical and mechanical properties were evaluated. FTIR analysis disclosed that the backbone structure of PVA/PEG was not affected by nanofiller loading, and the type of interaction between the PVA/PEG matrix and AlN nanoparticles was physical; furthermore, it was observed that as AlN nanoparticle loading increased in the composite films, water contact angles also increased. Interestingly, the nanocomposite films showed >90% blocking of UV light (200–400 nm) and very high flexibility with an elongation at break of approximately 190%. In comparison with PVA/PEG, the composite films developed by reinforcing 0.3 wt% of AlN (PVA/PEG/0.3AlN) exhibited a 17.94°C increment in thermal degradation temperature and a 7.36°C increment in glass transition temperature, along with a 1.2‐fold increment in tensile strength. Highlights Fabrication of polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene glycol/aluminum nitride films. The composite films showed >90% blocking of UV light. Thermal stability maximally enhanced at 0.3 wt% loading of aluminum nitride. The composite films demonstrated very high flexibility.