Performance exploration of polyvinyl alcohol/modified glass fiber composites based on hydrogen bonding interactions

Mechanically robust composites prepared via interfacial hydrogen bonding interactions are crucial in biological tissue engineering and protective materials. However, few reports have studied the effect of different hydrogen bonding interactions on the properties of composites. To remedy these limitations, polyvinyl alcohol/modified glass fiber composites were obtained based on different hydrogen bonding interactions. Glass fibers were modified via introducing with amino, carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. The modified glass fiber was chosen as the reinforcement, which introduced into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to achieve interface modification and different hydrogen bonding interactions. The results showed that PVA molecular chains, crystals and modified glass fibers arranged in a directional and orderly manner inside the composites. The strength and toughness of PVA/modified glass fiber composites were effectively improved due to the combination of the orientation and hydrogen bonding interactions. Especially, the carboxylated glass fiber possesses more active groups, which can provide rich interaction sites for hydrogen bonding interactions, indicating better comprehensive properties of the PVA/modified glass fiber composites. This work provides valuable research foundation for further investigating the mechanism of hydrogen bonding interactions on the mechanical properties of composites.