Effects of co‐plasticization of acetyl tributyl citrate and glycerol on the properties of starch/PVA films

Starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite films by film blowing process were successfully obtained. Starch (1700 g), PVA (300 g), and organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT, 200 g) were blended and plasticized with acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) and glycerol (GLY) at weight ratios of 0/100, 5/95, 10/90, 15/85, 20/80, and 25/75. The structural, morphology, barrier, mechanical, and thermal properties of the films, as well as molecular interactions in the nanocomposites were analyzed. The 3.98 nm d‐spacing was the highest in starch/PVA nanocomposite films plasticized with ATBC/GLY ratio of 10/90. The film with ATBC/GLY (5/95) had the lowest WVP (3.01 × 10^?10 g m^?1 s^?1 Pa^?1). The longitudinal tensile strength (TS) of starch/PVA nanocomposite films gradually increased from 4.46 to 6.81 MPa with the increase of ATBC/GLY ratios. The T_g steadily increased from 49.2°C to 55.2°C and the ΔH of the nanocomposite films decreased from 81.77 to 51.43 J/g at the presence of ATBC. The addition of ATBC into GLY plasticized starch/PVA/OMMT system enhanced the intermolecular interaction in the nanocomposites. This study proved that ATBC was an excellent compatibilizer in the preparation of starch/PVA/OMMT nanocomposite films. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42544.     

Modification of structural,thermal, and electrical properties of PVA by addition of silicon carbide nanocrystals

SiC‐PVA nanocomposite films, synthesized using solution‐casting technique were structurally characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. Morphological studies of the SiC‐PVA nanocomposite films were carried out using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). TEM analysis confirms that the size of SiC nanocrystals present in PVA matrix are 23 ± 9 nm, which is consistent with size calculated using XRD. SiC‐PVA nanocomposite films were further characterized for their thermal and electrical properties. Thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) indicates that the char yield of nanocomposite films containing 3 wt % SiC nanocrystal is ～30% more than PVA. This increase in char yield is an indication of the potency of flame retardation of SiC‐PVA nanocomposite films. I‐V analysis reveals that Schottky mechanism is the dominant conduction mechanism which is responsible for the increase in conductivity of PVA with the addition of SiC nanocrystals. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42464.     

Fabrication and characteristics of graphene oxide/nanocellulose fiber/poly(vinyl alcohol) film

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), PVA/nanocellulose fiber (CNF), and PVA/CNF/graphene oxide (GO) films were prepared simply by casting stable aqueous mixed solutions. FTIR investigation indicated that hydrogen bonding existed between the interface of GO and PVA‐CNF. Scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis showed that GO was uniformly dispersed in PVA‐CNF matrix. Introducing CNF into PVA caused a significant improvement in tensile strength, and further incorporating GO into PVA/CNF matrix led to a further increase. The tensile strength of the neat PVA film, PVA/CNF composite, and PVA/CNF/GO film (0.6 wt % GO) was 43, 69, and 80 MPa, respectively. Moreover, when incorporating 8 wt % CNF into PVA matrix, O₂ permeability and water absorption decreased from 13.36 to 11.66 cm³/m²/day and from 164.2% to 98.8%, respectively. Further adding 0.6 wt % GO into PVA/CNF matrix resulted in a further decrease of permeability and water absorption to 3.19 cm³/m²/day and 91.2%, respectively. Furthermore, for all composite samples, the transmittance of visible light was higher than 67% at 800 nm. CNF and GO‐reinforced PVA with high mechanical and barrier properties are potential candidates for packaging industry. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45345.     

Electromagnetic interference shielding properties of graphene quantum-dots reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol)/polypyrrole blend nanocomposites

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/polypyrrole (WPPy) nanocomposite films with various GQDs loadings were synthesized using the versatile solvent casting method. The structural and morphological properties of PVA/WPPy/GQDs nanocomposite films were investigated by employing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed enhanced thermal stability of synthesized nanocomposites while enhanced dielectric properties were also observed. The maximum dielectric constant value for PVA/WPPy/GQDs nanocomposite films was observed to be ε = 6,311.85 (50 Hz, 150°C). The electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of nanocomposite films was determined in the X-band (8–12 GHz) and Ku-band (12–18 GHz) frequency region. The EMI SE was found to be increased from 0.8 dB for the pure PVA film to 9.8 dB for the PVA/WPPy/GQDs nanocomposite film containing 10 wt% GQDs loading. The enhanced EMI shielding efficiency of nanocomposite films has resulted from the homogenous dispersion of GQDs in PVA/WPPy blend nanocomposites. Thus, the prepared nanocomposites are envisioned to utilize as a lightweight, flexible, and low-cost material for EMI shielding applications.     

Bio‐nanocomposite films based on cellulose nanocrystals filled polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan polymer blend

Bio‐nanocomposite films based on polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan (PVA/CS) polymeric blend and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were prepared by casting a homogenous and stable aqueous mixture of the three components. CNC used as nanoreinforcing agents were extracted at the nanometric scale from sugarcane bagasse via sulfuric acid hydrolysis; then they were characterized and successfully dispersed into a PVA/CS (50/50, w/w) blend to produce PVA/CS–CNC bio‐nanocomposite films at different CNC contents (0.5, 2.5, 5 wt %). Viscosity measurement of the film‐forming solutions and structural and morphological characterizations of the solid films showed that the CNC are well dispersed into PVA/CS blend forming strong interfacial interactions that provide an enhanced load transfer between polymer chains and CNC, thus improving their properties. The obtained bio‐nanocomposite films are mechanically strong and exhibit improved thermal properties. The addition of 5 wt % CNC within a PVA/CS blend increased the Young's modulus by 105%, the tensile strength by 77%, and the toughness by 68%. Herein, the utilization of Moroccan sugarcane bagasse as raw material to produce high quality CNC has been explored. Additionally, the ability of the as‐isolated CNC to reinforce polymer blends was studied, resulting in the production of the aforementioned bio‐nanocomposite films with improved properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42004.     

Polyvinyl alcohol – Zedo gum edible film: Physical,mechanical and thermal properties

The effects of different percentages of Zedo gum (ZG) (10, 20, and 30 w/w%) on the properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films by casting method were investigated in this study. Physical, thermal, optical as well as mechanical properties of neat PVA, PVA/ZG and neat ZG films were also characterized. All blend PVA/ZG films produced homogeneous, flexible and transparent films, while neat ZG could not form flexible films and films were opaque. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermal behavior confirmed the formation of hydrogen bonds and subsequently compatibility of the two polymers. In general, reduced moisture content, water solubility and water vapor permeability (WVP) were obtained in the blend films rather than the neat PVA films. However, this reduction tended to increase with a rise in the amount of ZG. Furthermore, films with higher ZG concentration (30%) showed lower mechanical strength than the other blend films but were stronger than neat PVA films. However, low water vapor permeability, high mechanical properties and thermal resistance made this edible film appropriate for packaging different food and non-food applications.     

Water sorption and water‐resistance properties of poly(vinyl alcohol)/clay nanocomposite films: Effects of chemical structure and morphology

A series of poly(vinyl alcohol)/sodium montmorillonite (PVA/NaMMT) nanocomposite films were prepared via a solution method, and their water sorption and water‐resistant properties were investigated as a function of clay content. The water sorption and water resistance properties were strongly dependent on the chemical structure and film morphology originating from the NaMMT content. The water diffusion coefficient and water uptake of the PVA/NaMMT nanocomposite films were obtained by best fits to a Fickian diffusion model. The diffusion coefficient and water uptake in the PVA/NaMMT nanocomposite films varied between 8.16 × 10⁻¹⁰ and 3.60 × 10⁻¹⁰ cm² s⁻¹ and 35.6 and 29.9 wt%, respectively. Both the diffusion coefficient and water uptake decreased as the content of NaMMT in pure PVA was increased. Additionally, the water resistance pressure (mm) of the PVA/NaMMT nanocomposite films increased with increasing NaMMT content. Contact angle analyses showed that the chemical affinity to water and the surface energy of the nanocomposite films decreased with increasing NaMMT content. Furthermore, the well‐dispersed and exfoliated structure in the nanocomposite films not only induced an increased tortuous path for water molecules to pass through, but also increased the molecular order. However, to enhance the water sorption properties and water resistance of hydrophilic PVA, further studies to increase the dispersion of clay particles and ensure desired morphological qualities such as crystallinity and molecular packing order in the PVA/clay nanocomposite films are required. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:660–667, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

酸处理凹凸棒黏土对PVA/APT纳米复合膜理化性能的影响

在固体与液体质量比(简称固液比,下同)为1∶10时,将凹凸棒黏土(APT)分别采用体积分数1%盐酸、H2 SO4、H3 PO4、HClO4和H4 P2 O7溶液进行处理。以聚乙烯醇(PVA)和各种酸处理APT为原料,采用溶液-流延成膜法,制备了系列PVA/APT纳米复合膜。采用FTIR、SEM和XRD对PVA/APT纳米复合膜的结构进行了表征,测试了PVA/APT纳米复合膜的力学性能和耐水性能。结果表明,酸处理能溶出APT孔道中的杂质和碳酸盐,提高棒晶束的分散程度,因而APT可均匀分散在PVA基体中。与APT原土相比,酸处理APT明显改善了纳米复合膜的力学性能和耐水性能。其中,以HClO4处理APT时纳米复合膜的性能最优,拉伸强度及断裂延伸率分别提高了29.3%和74.9%,耐水性提高了32.2%。     

Mushroom polysaccharides‐incorporated cellulose nanofiber films with improved mechanical,moisture barrier,and antioxidant properties

Mushroom polysaccharides (MP), including white MP, brown MP, and enoki MP, were incorporated into cellulose nanofiber (CNF). Studies on thermal property, structure, crystallinity, and morphology of CNF‐MP films revealed that MP was well interacted with and adsorbed onto CNF. Incorporation of MP significantly (P < 0.05) increased tensile strength and reduced water vapor permeability of CNF film. CNF‐MP films possessed higher antioxidant activity than CNF only or CNF‐chitosan film, and the antioxidant activity of released components from CNF‐MP films immersed in water was higher than that released from films immersed in methanol. Radical scavenging activity and reducing ability were major antioxidant mechanisms of CNF‐MP films. These trends were consistent with the results of total phenolics content released from films and the antioxidant activity of MP themselves. This study demonstrated CNF‐MP films may be used as packaging material for preventing oxidation and/or dehydration of food during storage. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46166.     

Starch nanocomposite films incorporating grape pomace extract and cellulose nanocrystal

The objectives of this study were to prepare starch nanocomposite films incorporating grape pomace extract (GPE) and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) using a solvent‐casting method, and to characterize the mechanical properties, color, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), crystalline structure, morphology, thermal stability, phenolic compound release profile and antibacterial activity of the films. Incorporating CNC and GPE significantly (P < 0.05) increased the films’ thickness, mechanical properties, and opacity. Brightness and color were mainly influenced by GPE level, while CNC had a great impact on the reduction of WVTR values of the film. Three characteristic cellulose I crystalline peaks were observed using X‐ray diffraction in CNC‐containing nanocomposite films. However, the effect of CNC levels on thermal stability was not significant. Phenolic compound releases were time and film dependent, and the nanocomposite films incorporating with GPE and CNC exhibited stronger inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 compared to Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44438.     

A chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite film reinforced with natural halloysite nanotubes

Biodegradable polymer/clay nanocomposites have attracted tremendous attentions because of their excellent properties and ecofriendly advantages. In this article, a series of nanocomposite films were prepared by introducing of halloysite nanotubes (HTs) into chitosan (CS)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix using the solution casting method, and the effect of HT as nanofillers on the properties of polymer/HT nanocomposites was explored. The results indicated that the tensile strength of CS/PVA/HT3 and elongation at break of CS/PVA/HT2 sharply increased by 39.72% and 26.14% in comparison with the pure CS/PVA film, respectively. The water resistance and thermal stability of polymer/HT nanocomposites were also improved compared with the pure CS/PVA film, but the optical property of the nanocomposite films was not affected by introducing HT into the CS/PVA matrix. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

聚乙烯醇/淀粉纳米晶复合膜的制备及表征

利用蜡质玉米淀粉通过硫酸酸解制备淀粉纳米晶（SN）,并采用溶液流延法制备聚乙烯醇（PVA）/SN复合膜,研究SN对复合膜结构和性能的影响。结果表明,制备的SN样品为盘状颗粒,平均直径为30～60 nm;随着SN含量的增加,PVA/SN复合膜的力学性能和阻隔性能均呈现先增后减的变化;在SN含量为10 %时,复合膜的拉伸和阻隔性能最好,拉伸强度由纯PVA膜的47 MPa提高至54 MPa,气体透过系数相对于纯PVA膜也降低了70 %。     

Antioxidant,antifungal, water binding,and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) film incorporated with essential oil as a potential wound dressing material

In this study, the properties of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films incorporated with Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZMO) as a potential antioxidant/antibacterial material was investigated. PVA films were prepared from PVA solutions (2% w/v) containing different concentrations of ZMO. Water solubility, moisture absorption, water swelling, and water vapor permeability for pure PVA films were 57 ± 1.1, 99 ± 3.2%, 337 ± 8%, and 0.453 ± 0.015 g mm/m² h, respectively. Incorporation of ZMO into PVA films caused a significant decrease in water swelling and moisture absorption and increase in solubility and water vapor permeability. Tensile strength, elastic modulus, and elongation at break for pure PVA films were 13.5 ± 0.61 MPa, 15.2 ± 0.8 MPa, and 216 ± 4%, respectively. Incorporation of ZMO into the PVA films caused a significant decrease in tensile strength and elastic modulus and increase in elongation at break of the films. Pure PVA film showed UV‐visible light absorbance ranging from 280 to 440 nm with maximum absorbance at 320 nm. Addition of ZMO caused a significant increase in light absorbance and opacity. PVA films exhibited no antioxidant and antifungal activities, whereas PVA/ZMO films exhibited excellent antioxidant and antifungal properties. Although the bioactivity PVA films were improved by the addition of ZMO, however, the mechanical properties and water binding capacity of the films were weaken slightly. Thus, ZMO emulsified in the ethanol not compatible with PVA matrix and more suitable emulsifier was needed in order to obtain strong film with higher mechanical properties. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40937.     

Core-shell particles for design of high-performance polymeric materials with good transparency and toughness

The exfoliated graphene oxides (GOs) prepared via the Hummer’s method were well dispersed in water but re-stacked if drying to a powder form as observed by transmission electron microscope and x-ray diffraction pattern. Hence, they were directly mixed with poly(vinyl alchohol) (PVA) in water to fabricate the PVA/GO nanocomposite films by casting the resulting aqueous solutions and drying. As the nanocomposite films with no less than 5 wt% GO content were subjected to combustion, the char residue could preserve their original film profile acting like an inflammable scaffold. The glassy transition temperature of as-fabricated PVA/GO nanocomposite films barely changed with the content of GO but significantly decreased from ~70 to ~10 °C as environmental relative humidity (RH) was increased from 20 to 80 % due to more moisture adsorption. Therefore, the mechanical behavior of PVA/GO nanocomposite films not only depended on the GO content but also RH, exhibiting from rubbery to glassy status.     

Preparation and characterization of antimicrobial films based on nanocrystalline cellulose

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) has great potential in applications in medical and food packaging due to its abundance, high specific surface area, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and reproducibility. N-Halamine is one of the most effective antibacterial agents, with broad-spectrum efficacy against microorganisms, good stability, and reproducibility. Due to the nanosize effect and high specific surface area of NCC, N-halamine-modified NCC is potentially an excellent biocidal compound. In this paper, an N-halamine precursor 1-hydroxymethyl-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (HDH) was used to modify NCC with cyanuric chloride (cych) as the bonding agent. After chlorination, the produced NCC-cych-HDH-Cl became antibacterial. The synthesized NCC-cych-HDH-Cl was added to a chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution to prepare antibacterial films. The optimum mixing ratio of PVA and CS in the PVA/CS films and concentration of NCC-cych-HDH-Cl were investigated. The surface morphologies and mechanical properties of the antibacterial films were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and mechanical strength tests. The results indicated that the film with 90/10 PVA/CS and 7.0% loading of NCC-cych-HDH-Cl exhibited excellent tensile strength. The antibacterial film with 5.91 × 10¹⁷ atoms/cm² of active chlorine displayed an excellent antibacterial property against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43895). © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47101.     

Physical and antibacterial properties of polyvinyl alcohol films reinforced with quaternized cellulose

Hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride cellulose (CM) was homogeneously synthesized in a NaOH/urea aqueous solution. CM was blended in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix to produce composite films via co‐regeneration from the alkaline solution. The PVA film and the blend films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction measurements and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties, water swelling ratio, hydrophobicity, light transmission, and antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were also evaluated. The results showed that CM could interact with PVA by hydrogen bonding and exhibit an obvious reinforcement effect. The addition of CM improved the surface roughness, hydrophobicity and water swelling ratio, especially, the antibacterial activity. However, compared with neat PVA film, the elasticity and optical transmission decreased. The increased tensile strength, powerful antibacterial activity, and medium light transmission indicate that the biocompatible blend film will become an exceptional alternative in functional bio‐material field. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43552.     

Cellulose NANOFIBER‐polyethylene nanocomposites modified by polyvinyl alcohol

The uniform dispersion of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) in non‐polar polymer matrices is a primary problem to overcome in creating novel nanocomposites from these materials. The aim of this study was to produce CNF‐polyethylene (PE) nanocomposites by melt compounding followed by injection molding to investigate the possibility of using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to improve the dispersion of CNF in the PE matrix. The tensile strength of CNF‐ filled composites was 17.4 MPa with the addition of 5 wt % CNF–PVA, which was 25% higher than the strength of neat PE. The tensile modulus of elasticity increased by 40% with 5% CNF–PVA addition. Flexural properties also significantly increased with increased CNF loading. Shear viscosity increased with increasing CNF content. The elastic moduli of the PE/CNF composites from rheological measurements were greater than those of the neat PE matrix because of the intrinsic rigidity of CNF. Melt creep compliance decreased by about 13% and 45% for the composites with 5 wt % CNF and 10 wt % CNF, respectively. It is expected that the PVA carrier system can contribute to the development of a process methodology to effectively disperse CNFs containing water in a polymer matrix. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42933.     

Development of catechol-functionalized chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite films incorporated with dual network coated layered clay for active packaging applications

In order to solve the problems of traditional plastic packaging materials like poor degradability and insufficient active packaging function, this study successfully designs and synthesizes tannic acid (TA)-titanium (Ti) dual network coated hydrotalcite-like layered clay (LDHs@TA-Ti) and catechol grafted chitosan (C-CS) based on the principle of mussel bionics. And a novel idea is first put forward to fabricate LDHs@TA-Ti/C-CS/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite films by solution casting method. The result of infrared and thermal analysis indicate that strong interfacial interaction is formed in the nanocomposites, which leads to the limitation of molecular chain movement and the increase of glass transition temperature. Although the addition of LDHs@TA-Ti significantly increases the crystallization temperature, the crystallinity does not change significantly. The water resistance, UV barrier, tensile strength and antibacterial properties of the final nanocomposite films are improved significantly, and all the films show good transparency in the visible range. Especially when the addition amount of LDHs@TA-Ti reaches 1 wt%, compared with C-CS/PVA composite film, the UV (at 300 nm) barrier property and tensile strength are increased by 36.3% and 45.1% respectively. Therefore, LDHs@TA-Ti/C-CS/PVA nanocomposite films show great potential as environmentally friendly active packaging films or coatings in extending the shelf life of food products.     

Water stability of high‐molecular‐weight (HMW) syndiotacticity‐rich poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/HMW atactic PVA/iodine complex blend films

To precisely identify the effect of blend ratios of syndiotacticity‐rich poly(vinyl alcohol) (s‐PVA)/atactic PVA (a‐PVA) on the water stability of s‐PVA/a‐PVA/iodine complex blend films, we prepared two PVAs with similar number‐averaged degrees of polymerization of 4000 and degrees of saponification of 99.9% and with different syndiotactic diad contents of 58.5 and 53.5%, respectively. The desorption behavior of iodine in s‐PVA/a‐PVA/iodine complex films in water was investigated in terms of the solubility of s‐PVA/a‐PVA blend films in water. The degree of solubility of s‐PVA/a‐PVA blend films with s‐PVA content over 50% in water at 70°C was limited to about 10–20%, whereas that of s‐PVA/a‐PVA blend films with s‐PVA content of 10% was 85% under the same conditions. The degree of iodine desorption of complex blend films decreased with increasing s‐PVA content. The degree of iodine desorption of s‐PVA/a‐PVA drawn film with s‐PVA content of 90% was limited to 7%, regardless of the soaking temperature from 30 to 70°C. The desorption of iodine in water was strongly affected by the dissolution of blends. Moreover, the stability of iodine in the drawn s‐PVA/a‐PVA/iodine blend films in hot water was far superior to that of the undrawn film. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1435–1439, 2004     

Characteristics of poly(vinyl alcohol) films crosslinked by cinnamaldehyde with improved transparency and water resistance

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films crosslinked by cinnamaldehyde (CIN) at various concentrations were prepared. Their physicochemical and antibacterial properties were compared with those of uncrosslinked films. The results suggest that the crosslinked films exhibited higher transparency, tensile strength, and elongation at break in a certain CIN concentration range. They also displayed decreased water vapor permeability and water solubility. Although the antibacterial activity of the crosslinked film‐forming solution was less slightly than that of the uncrosslinked film‐forming solution, the crosslinked film‐forming solution still demonstrated strong antibacterial activity when the concentration of CIN was 2% v/v. The aldol condensation reaction between the aldehyde group of CIN and the alcoholic hydroxyl group of PVA was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. By the crosslinking reaction, the heat stability of the crosslinked film was enhanced compared with that of the uncrosslinked film. Meanwhile, a compact, smooth, and continuous cross‐sectional microstructure present in the crosslinked film was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The higher water resistance and transparency gave the crosslinked films priority for use in food packaging. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45324.