Impact of Magnesium Salt on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol)

The effects of magnesium salts with various anion species on the structure and properties of a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) film were studied. The glass transition temperature of the PVA film increased following the addition of a magnesium salt. Furthermore, the salt greatly enhanced the modulus and yield stress and reduced the crystallinity of the film. These effects were attributed to the strong ion–dipole interactions between the magnesium salts and the PVA chains. The strength of interaction, i.e., the reduction of segmental motions, depended on the anion species in the following order: Mg(ClO(4))(2), MgBr(2), MgCl(2), Mg(CH(3)COO)(2), and MgSO(4). The order corresponded to the Hofmeister series, which predicts the ability to break the structure of water.