Development of Biodegradable PVA Sponge Incorporated with Antimicrobial Agent

Abstract

PolyVinyl Alcohol (PVA) is a synthetic polymer used in wide range of industrial, commercial, agriculture and medical application. It is environmental friendly, water soluble with excellent emulsifying properties. They are biodegradable and hence environmental friendly. The PVA sponges can be produced by using large closed reactors and hence are suitable for mass production. The preparation of the basic PVA solution is by adding the surfactant, catalyst, oxidizing agents, and formaldehyde. For PVA sponges many surfactants and softeners can be incorporated in order to improve its performance. The resultant PVA sponge is open-celled, highly absorbent porous material with good absorption property. The PVA sponge properties are characterized and optimized based on temperature it can withstand, height of the foam, agitation time, pH, pore structure, pore diameter, structure of the pore, chemical composition and antimicrobial activity. This paper refers to the development of PVA sponge incorporated with antimicrobial agents that is degradable which can be used for multiple applications including medical and agricultural applications.