Effect of nano-SiO2 on the performance of starch/polyvinyl alcohol blend films

In this paper, several starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/nano-silicon dioxide (nano-SiO2) biodegradable blend films were prepared by a solution casting method. The physical and biodegradable properties of this film were also studied. From the results, SPS5 was found to have the best tensile strength at about 15.0 MPa, and its elongation at break was 120%. With the increase in nano-SiO2 content, the water resistance of the films was also improved. Additionally, SPS5 had the best optical transparence in all of the films. The soil burial test showed that the addition of nano-SiO2 has no significant influence to the biodegradability of the films. Moreover, the results indicated that an intermolecular hydrogen bond and a chemical bond COSi were formed in the nano-SiO2 and starch/PVA. Therefore, the miscibility and compatibility between starch and PVA were increased, and the physical properties of the additional nano-SiO2 were improved.