ABSTRACT Water solubility of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) advantageously prevents the formation of harmful micro‐ and nano‐plastics, but it currently lacks practical viability due to its poor water resistance. In this study, PVA films were reinforced with acid‐treated palm kernel shell biochar to enhance their water resistance and wet strength. Incorporation of the treated biochar resulted in significant improvements in mechanical strength, reduced swelling, and higher gel content upon immersion in water, indicating enhanced network stability. At 5 wt% biochar loading, the films exhibited a significant drop in the swelling ratio, decreasing from 296.2% (neat PVA) to 133.1%, while gel content of the corresponding films increased from 76.5% to 93.0%. The most significant mechanical reinforcement occurred at a 3 wt% loading, which yielded a 25.9% increase in tensile strength. Furthermore, the benefits of biochar incorporation were highly evident in wet strength analyses where the samples were subjected to tensile test right after 24 and 48 h of water immersion. The PVA/biochar films maintained a tensile strength of at least five times greater than that of the neat PVA film. By valorizing a renewable waste material to enhance polymer performance, this approach demonstrates a strategic pathway toward practical yet environmentally friendly plastics.
Yusran et al. (Mon,) studied this question.