Influence of Mesoporous Silica and Butyral Content on the Mechanical, Water Absorption, and Permeability Properties of in situ Synthesized Silica/PVB Nanocomposite Films

ABSTRACT

Poly(vinyl butyral)–silica nanocomposites were synthesized in situ with three different degrees of butyral and with varying silica content for each vinyl butyral polymer ratio. The glass transition temperatures of the polymer nanocomposites were found to be ∼40–46 and ∼52°C for the neat polymer, respectively. The 4 wt% silica loaded film showed higher strength and lower strain to failure compared with the neat polymer. The matrix with 0.5 and 0.75 butyral:alcohol for 2.5–4 wt% silica exhibited good water vapor transmission and the efficiencies of these films were 50% higher than their encapsulated pristine polymer films.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Dynamic mechanical analysis
• encapsulation
• hybrid composites
• moisture permeation studies
• solar cells

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Prof. Upadrasta Ramamurty and Gaurav Singh, Department of Materials Engineering (for tensile studies) and Dr. Roy Mahapatra and Shashishekarayya R Hiremath, Aerospace Engineering, IISc for DMA studies.

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from DST No SR/S3/ChE/1362/2014-(G) and by the IUSSTF/JCERDC-SERIIUS/2012 dated 22 November 2012.