Boosting Polyvinyl Alcohol's Power with Carbon Nanotubes and Zinc Oxide

Scientists have been mixing things up to create stronger and smarter materials. They've been blending Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) with Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) to make composites with super electrical and mechanical properties. The goal? To see how these tiny fillers can boost PVA's performance. First, they whipped up solutions with different weight ratios of PVA, ZnO, and CNTs. After a good stir and some ultrasonic waves, they used electrospinning and solution casting to create their composite nanofibers and thin membranes.

FTIR spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to take a close look at these new materials. It turned out that the combo of PVA, 5% ZnO, and 0. 5% CNT was a real winner. This blend showed the highest dielectric constant and AC conductivity at high frequencies. PVA with 5% CNT alone was a champ in capacitance and mechanical strength, hitting a Young's modulus of 387. 12 MPa and a stress yield of 6. 92 MPa. These experiments show that adding ZnO and CNT fillers can really crank up PVA's electrical and mechanical properties. This could open doors for new uses in microelectronic devices and packaging materials.

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