Thermal decomposition kinetics and mechanical analysis of boron carbide-reinforced polymer nanocomposites

In the present study, the mechanical properties and thermal degradation kinetics of PVA/PVP/PEO (polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl pyrrolidone/polyethylene oxide) blend, along with their composites containing various percentages of boron carbide (B4C), are examined. The solvent-casting method is used for preparing the composites. Thermal degradation is analyzed using both Kissinger and FWO (Flynn-Wall-Ozawa) methods to determine the activation energies (Ea). The Ea varied with the B4C content, with higher B4C percentages leading to increased thermal stability. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was employed to evaluate the mechanical properties, revealing that B4C addition enhances the Young's modulus (E) while decreasing strain. The highest strain (epsilon) was observed in the PVA/PEO/PVP blend, reaching 184%. The epsilon values for PVA/PEO/PVP-B4C%5, PVA/PEO/PVP-B4C%10, and PVA/PEO/PVP-B4C%20 composites were determined as 45.30%, 29.15%, and 16.48%, respectively. The E was measured as 0.12 MPa for PVA/PEO/PVP, while the highest E value of 0.64 MPa was observed in the PVA/PVP/PEO-B4C20% composite. Additionally, chemometric analysis using FTIR data and clustering algorithms confirmed the homogeneity of the blends. These findings indicate that B4C-reinforced PVA/PVP/PEO composites could serve as alternatives to conventional polymers, particularly in applications requiring enhanced thermal and mechanical stability.Highlights B4C addition increases the thermal stability of the PVA/PVP/PEO blend. DMA analysis shows that B4C addition increases the elastic modulus. Activation energies were calculated by the Kissinger and FWO methods. PVA/PVP/PEO-B4C composites offer superior mechanical resistance.