Sustainable Flame-retardant and Tough Poly(vinyl alcohol) Films with Phytic Acid and Biochar: A Simple and Effective Approach

Chang-Fa Zhu; Jia-Xi Zhang; Shao-Ping Qian; Tong-Hui Pan

doi:10.1007/s10118-025-3365-z

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Sustainable Flame-retardant and Tough Poly(vinyl alcohol) Films with Phytic Acid and Biochar: A Simple and Effective Approach

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2025-07-26

- Sustainable Flame-retardant and Tough Poly(vinyl alcohol) Films with Phytic Acid and Biochar: A Simple and Effective Approach
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 43, Issue 8, Pages: 1333-1345(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
  b.Key Laboratory of Impact and Safety Engineering, Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
- Author bio：
  
  qianshaoping@nbu.edu.cn
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3365-z
  CLC：
- Received：27 January 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-04-08，
  
  Accepted：23 April 2025，
  
  Online First：08 July 2025，
  
  Published：01 August 2025
- Accepted：
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Zhu, C. F.; Zhang, J. X.; Qian, S. P.; Pan, T. H. Sustainable flame-retardant and tough poly(vinyl alcohol) films with phytic acid and biochar: a simple and effective approach. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2025, 43, 1333–1345

Chang-Fa Zhu, Jia-Xi Zhang, Shao-Ping Qian, et al. Sustainable Flame-retardant and Tough Poly(vinyl alcohol) Films with Phytic Acid and Biochar: A Simple and Effective Approach[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2025, 43(8): 1333-1345.
Zhu, C. F.; Zhang, J. X.; Qian, S. P.; Pan, T. H. Sustainable flame-retardant and tough poly(vinyl alcohol) films with phytic acid and biochar: a simple and effective approach. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2025, 43, 1333–1345 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3365-z.

Chang-Fa Zhu, Jia-Xi Zhang, Shao-Ping Qian, et al. Sustainable Flame-retardant and Tough Poly(vinyl alcohol) Films with Phytic Acid and Biochar: A Simple and Effective Approach[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2025, 43(8): 1333-1345. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3365-z.

摘要

This study employs phytic acid (PA) and biochar (BC) to fabricate PVA/PA/BC composite film. Compared with traditional PVA material

this composite film exhibits superior mechanical performance

flame retardancy and water resistance. The mechanical and flame-retardant strengthening mechanisms are comprehensively investigated and elucidated.

Abstract

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a biodegradable and environmentally friendly material known for its gas barrier characteristics and solvent resistance. However

its flammability and water sensitivity limit its application in specialized fields. In this study

phytic acid (PA) was introduced as a halogen-free flame retardant and biochar (BC) was introduced as a reinforcement to achieve both flame resistance and mechanical robustness. We thoroughly investigated the effects of BC particle sizes (100−3000 mesh) and addition amounts (0 wt%−10 wt%)

as well as PA addition amounts (0 wt%−15 wt%)

on the properties of PVA composite films. Notably

the PA10/1000BC5 composite containing 10 wt% PA and 5 wt% 1000 mesh BC exhibited optimal properties. The limiting oxygen index increased to 39.2%

and the UL-94 test achieved a V-0 rating. Additionally

the PA10/1000BC5 composite film demonstrated significantly enhanced water resistance

with a swelling ratio reaching 800% without dissolving

unlike that of the control PVA. The water contact angle was 70°

indicating that hydrophilic properties remained essentially unaffected. Most importantly

the tensile modulus and elongation at break were 213 MPa and 281.7%

respectively

nearly double those of the PVA/PA composite film. This study presents an efficient and straightforward method for preparing PVA composite films that are flame-retardant

tough

and water-resistant

expanding their potential applications in various fields.

关键词

Keywords

references

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