• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.323-327
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• 2006

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composite films were prepared by casting a DMSO solution of PVA and MWNTs, whereby the MWNTs were dispersed by sonication. A significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the PVA drawn films was achieved by the addition of a small amount of MWNTs. The initial modulus and the tensile strength of the PVA drawn film increased by 30 % and 45 %, respectively, with the addition of 1 wt% MWNTs, which are close to those calculated from the rule of mixtures, and were strongly dependent upon the orientation of the PVA matrix. The mechanical properties, however, were not improved with a further increase in the MWNT content. The orientation of MWNTs in the composite was not well developed compared to that of the PVA matrix. This result suggests that the improvement of the molecular orientation of the PVA matrix plays a major role in the increase of the mechanical propeties of the drawn PVA/MWNT composite films.

• Carbon letters
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.138-142
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• 2011

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites with various graphite oxide (GO) contents (0 to 10 wt%) were prepared by sonicating the mixture of PVA and GO, followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. GO was pre-treated with oxyfluorination ($O_2:F_2$ = 8:2) in order to modify the surface of GO to allow it to carry hydrophilic functional groups. PVA/GO composite hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR). The morphology of the PVA/GO composite hydrogels and the variations in soluble gel portion were investigated under various GO contents and UV irradiation doses. The variation in the chemical structure of photo degraded PVA/GO composite hydrogels was studied by FT-IR. The photochemical stability of PVA/GO composite hydrogels under UV irradiation was found to improve noticeably with increasing content of uniformly dispersed GO.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.219-224
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• 2004

In this work, we prepared hydrogels for wound dressing from a mixture of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and alginate using the $\^$60/Co ${\gamma}$-ray irradiation technique. We examined the physical properties of these hydrogels, including gelation, water absorptivity, and gel strength, to evaluate the applicability of these hydrogels for wound dressings. The biocompatibility of these hydrogels was also evaluated in vitro, in cultures of mouse fibroblasts, and in vivo, by subcutaneous implantation studies in rats. The gel content and strength increased upon increasing the radiation dose and upon decreasing the concentration of alginate. The degree of swelling was inversely proportional to the gel content and strength. The degree of cytotoxicity of the ${\gamma}$-ray-treated hydrogels was ca. 60% compared to the (－) control (serum) after 1 day of incubation. When the incubations were prolonged up to 2 days, the toxicity of all the samples decreased remarkably and reached that of the control. Subcutaneous implantation studies in rats indicated that foreign body reactions occurring around the implanted hydrogels were moderate and became minimal upon increasing the implantation time.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.323-331
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• 2019

Sorghum is a rich source in phytochemicals, such as tannins, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, phytosterols and policosanols. Sorghum has been known to have antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antioxidant properties. In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA)-sorghum extract(SE) composite nanoweb was produced by electrospinning and its characteristics including bioactivities were investigated. The SE had antimicrobial and antiinflammatory activities as well as a reduced cytotoxicity. The PVA-SE nanoweb had a highly enhanced antimicrobial activity compared to PVA nanoweb. The amount of proinflammatory cytokine released from macrophages treated with the PVA-SE nanoweb was reduced. The PVA-SE nanoweb can be a potential candidate for medical and cosmeceutical materials providing antimicrobial and antiinflammatory activities with a low degree of cytotoxicity.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.405-412
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• 2003

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and N-(2-hydroxy)propyl-3-trimethylammonium chitosan chloride (HTCC), a water soluble chitosan derivative synthesized by the reaction of quaternary ammonium compound with chitosan, were blended using water as a solvent and the PVA/HTCC blend films with various compositions were prepared by solution casting method. The miscibility between the two polymers and the thermal properties of the blend films were investigated using FT-IR, DSC, DMA, and TGA. Single glass transition temperatures and single melting temperatures of the blend films along with the strong and clear film state for the whole composition of blending ratios suggest the miscibility between PVA and HTCC. The PVA/HTCC blend films with HTCC content of 1% and greater showed excellent antimicrobial activity.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2013

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) composite nanofibers were produced at different $TiO_2$ concentrations (0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt.%) using the electrospinning method. The parameters of electrospinning including polymer contents, voltage and tip-to-collector distance (TCD) were optimized for fabrication process. The study showed that 7.5 wt.% PVA, 15 kV applied voltage and 15 cm TCD are the best condition to obtain uniform PVA/$TiO_2$ nanofibers. $TiO_2$ nanoparticles give significant effect in fiber morphology. $TiO_2$ content increases the diameter of the fibers and roughen the fiber surfaces. The PVA/$TiO_2$ nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.51-57
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• 2008

Mixed matrix membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), loaded with phosphomolybdic heteropolyacid (HPA) and crosslinked with glutaraldehyde have been prepared by the solution casting technique. Pervaporation (PV) experiments have been performed at $30^{\circ}C$ to separate water-isopropanol feed mixtures containing 10 to 40 wt.% of water. The membranes were characterized by DSC and DMTA to understand their thermal behavior and mechanical strength properties. At high content (i.e. 7 wt.% with respect to weight of PVA) of HPA, the mixed matrix membranes could extract water efficiently on the permeate side with a selectivity of 90,000 and a flux of 0.032 $kg/m^2h$ for 10 wt.% of water containing feed mixture (the lowest feed composition of water studied). Flux of the mixed matrix membranes decreased with increasing concentrations of HPA.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2014

Poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA)/pullulan/titanium dioxide($TiO_2$) composite nanofibers were produced at different $TiO_2$ concentrations(1 and 3 wt.%) using the electrospinning method. The parameters of electrospinning including polymer contents, voltage and tip-to-collector distance(TCD) were optimized for fabrication process. The study showed that the best condition to make PVA/pullulan nanofiber and effect of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. The PVA/pullulan/$TiO_2$ nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM), transmission electron microscope(TEM), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction(XRD).

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.476-482
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• 2009

The crystallization behavior of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in the presence and absence of polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPy NPs) was investigated in terms of the heterogeneous nucleation effect of PPy NPs using FTIR, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimeter and polarized optical microscope analysis. PPy NPs were prepared by dispersion polymerization method stabilized by PVA in aqueous solution. A polymer nanocomposite with uniform dispersity could be readily obtained due to the enhanced compatibility between the filler and matrix. Compared with the PPy NP-absent PVA, the PPy NP/PVA nanocomposite exhibited an enhanced degree of crystallinity. The degree of crystallinity increased up to 17% at the PPy NP concentration of 1 wt%, compared to the pristine PVA. The PPy NP acted as an effective nucleating agent during the crystallization process, thereby enhancing the degree and rate of crystallization. The kinetics study of the crystallization also revealed the decreased value of the Avrami coefficient in the case of the PPy NP/PVA nanocomposite.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.563-567
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• 2006

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and gelatin (GEL) blend membranes were prepared by solution casting method under a high electric field. SEM observation of the membrane showed that gelatin rich domains were elongated and oriented to the direction of the applied electric field in PVA matrix. This can be attributed to the electrostatic emulsifying effects due to a reduction in interfacial tension. In addition, it was observed through WAXD and swelling measurements that the degree of crystallinity of membranes increased with applied electric field strength. This may be interpreted to be caused by the orientation effect of GEL domains in the blend membrane, and the self-annealing effect due to some heat generated from high electric field during casting.