Thermal, Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Hydrophilic Poly(vinyl alcohol) Film Improved by Hydrophobic Poly(propylene glycol).

A series of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(propylene glycol) (PVA/PPG) blend films with different PPG contents were prepared by casting the polymer blend solutions. Structure and morphologies of the PVA/PPG blend films were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties of PVA/PPG blend films were investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile strength tests, and other physical methods. It was revealed that the introduction of PPG could exert marked effects on the morphology and the properties of PVA film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]