Oxide powder mixture with poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) and added polyethylene glycol (PEG) as plasticizer

Powder mixture consisted of ZnO, Mn2O3 (MnCO3) and Fe2O3 blended powders, was found laminating during compaction. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and a combination of PVA with polyethylene glycol (PEG) added as a plasticizer, were introduced as polymer binders to improve the compaction of oxide mixtures. It has been done by forming a suspension of oxide mixture and varying the polymer solution concentration and composition. By evaporating the solvent, new materials were obtained, which consist of oxide particles bound via polymer. In such a manner obtained hybrid materials were characterized with attenuated total reflection Fourier transformed infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis (DTA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The oxide polymer material was compacted at 200 MPa and the expansion of this compact during heating was monitored in temperature range up to 550ºC with dilatometer. It was found that PVA forms graft polymer with PEG and specific interaction with oxide particles surface was revealed.