Properties and interactions of poly(vinyl alcohol)-sago pith waste biocomposites

In this study, blending of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and sago pith waste (SPW) was prepared by a one-step melt extrusion. The physico-mechanical, Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), moisture sorption, rheological, and thermal characterization were conducted. Incorporation of PVA in SPW improved the tensile modulus, whereas the tensile strength reduced. The FT-IR analysis has shown that SPW could be introduced into the PVA network via the formation of hydrogen bonds between the PVA and SPW clusters. The interaction between PVA and SPW macromolecules has shown that there is a noticeable improvement in the water sorption ability. The rheological properties revealed that the PVA/SPW composites exhibited shear-thinning behavior and the blend viscosities increased with the rise in SPW content because of its rigid structure. Thermal analysis revealed that >50 wt% of PVA could induce greater molecular interaction between the PVA and SPW.