Preparation of aluminum sulfate nanoparticles prepared by the green method and study of their effect on a poly(vinyl chloride) surface

In this study, aluminum sulfate nanoparticles (ASNPs) were prepared using Ziziphus spina leaf extract. Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) films with a thickness of 50 ± 5 µm were then prepared by the casting method after adding the nanomaterial at different concentrations (0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005, and 0.0025)% to a PVC solution dissolved in tetrahydrofuran. The prepared aluminum sulfate nanoparticles were characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which showed a particle size of 60.01 nm, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which indicated an average diameter of 9.74 nm. The optical fragmentation of the polymer films was then evaluated in the presence and absence of the nanomaterials. UV-visible spectroscopy at a wavelength of 278 nm was used after different irradiation periods (0, 20, 40, 80, 120, 160 hours) to calculate the photodissociation constant (Kd) of the polymeric films in the presence of the nanomaterial additive. The results showed that increasing the nanomaterial concentration led to a higher photodegradation rate of the polymer films compared to the films without the additive. Infrared spectroscopy was also used to calculate the absorption coefficient of the carbonyl group (Ico). The absorption coefficient of the carbonyl group (Ico) in PVC increased with both nanomaterial concentration and irradiation time, and this increase was directly proportional to irradiation time.The molecular mass of the polymer, the degree of disintegration, and the numerical rate of polymer chain scission (S) were also calculated using a viscometer. With increasing additive concentration and irradiation time, the molecular weight decreased, while both the chain scission rate and the degree of disintegration increased. Based on these findings, further work is recommended to investigate the impact of aluminum sulfate nanoparticles on different types of polymeric surfaces to enhance their physical and chemical properties. In addition, exploring alternative green synthesis methods may improve particle size distribution and overall material efficiency.