Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hybrid films containing 5 wt% pristine clay mineral were synthesized in the water solution. The various PVA hybrid films were synthesized from structurally different pristine clays: saponite (SPT), montmorillonite (MMT), hectorite (SWN), hydrophilic bentonite (PGV), and mica (Mica). The thermo-optical properties and morphologies of the PVA hybrid films were evaluated with various pristine clays. The nanostructure of the hybrid films was observed using transmission electron microscopy, which showed that the clay layers were well dispersed into the matrix polymer, although some clusters or agglomerated particles were also detected. The addition of pristine clay was more effective with regard to improving the thermal properties and gas barrier characteristics, whereas the optical transparency of the PVA hybrid films deteriorated with pristine clay.
Morphologies, thermo-optical properties, and gas barriers of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hybrid films containing two different clays are compared. Saponite (SPT) and hydrophilic bentonite (BTT) were used as the reinforcing filler in the fabrication of PVA hybrid films, which were synthesized from aqueous solutions and were solvent-cast at room temperature under vacuum, yielding 20-31-μm-thick PVA hybrid films with varying clay contents. The addition of small amounts of clay is sufficient to improve the thermal properties and gas barriers of PVA hybrid films. Even polymers with a low clay content (3-10 wt%) were found to exhibit much higher transition temperature values than pure PVA. The addition of BTT was more effective than the addition of SPT for improving the thermal properties and gas barrier in the PVA matrix. The PVA hybrid films containing 5 wt% SPT were equibiaxially stretched, with stretching ratios ranging from 150% to 250%. Clay dispersion, morphology, optical transparency, and gas permeability were then examined as a function of the equibiaxial stretching ratio. PVA hybrid films with a stretching ratio of ≥ 150% displayed homogeneously dispersed clay within the polymer matrix and exfoliated nanocomposites.
Poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) nanocomposite films containing various saponite (SPT) clay contents were synthesized using a solution intercalation method. The thermal property, morphology, optical transparency, and gas permeability of the PVA nanocomposite films with various SPT contents in the range of 0 to 10 wt% were examined. PVA nanocomposite film containing 5 wt% SPT showed excellent thermal and gas barrier property. The hybrid films containing 5 wt% SPT were equibiaxially stretched with stretching ratios ranging from 150 to 250%. The clay dispersion, optical transparency, and gas permeability were also examined as a function of equibiaxial stretching ratio. The PVA nanocomposite films with various equibiaxial stretching ratios showed excellent optical transparency and barrier to oxygen permeability.
This study was performed to assess exposure to and the risk caused by biphenyl in the workplace. Biphenyl is widely used as a heat transfer medium and as an emulsifier and polish in industry. Vapor or high levels of dust inhalation and dermal exposure to biphenyl can cause eye inflammation, irritation of respiratory organs, and permanent lesions in the liver and nervous system. In this study, the workplace environment concentrations were assessed as central tendency exposure and reasonable maximum exposure and were shown to be 0.03 and 0.12 mg/m3, respectively. In addition, the carcinogenic risk of biphenyl as determined by risk assessment was 0.14 × 10−4 (central tendency exposure) and 0.56 × 10−4 (reasonable maximum exposure), which is below the acceptable risk value of 1.0 × 10−4. Furthermore, the central tendency exposure and reasonable maximum exposure hazard quotients were 0.01 and 0.06 for oral toxicity, 0.05 and 0.23 for inhalation toxicity, and 0.08 and 0.39 for reproduction toxicity, respectively, which are all lower than the acceptable hazard quotient of 1.0. Therefore, exposure to biphenyl was found to be safe in current workplace environments. Because occupational exposure limits are based on socioeconomic assessment, they are generally higher than true values seen in toxicity experiments. Based on the results of exposure monitoring of biphenyl, the current occupational exposure limits in Korea could be reviewed.
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