Composites based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polysaccharides (PS) have significant potential for use as compostable packaging materials, as well as in various fields of crop production. PVS are produced by the industry of various brands that differ in molecular weight (MM) and the residual content of vinyl acetate (BA) groups, and as a result - the degree of hydrolysis. Depending on the brand of PVA and the nature of the filler, such properties of composites based on them as water resistance, strength, degree of bioconversion, etc.will differ significantly. The purpose of the work: a comprehensive assessment of the properties of high-filled composites based on PVA of various brands, differing in the degree of hydrolysis, and polysaccharides. Objects of research: composites obtained by direct combination of a 5% solution of PVA (grades 1799, VS-05, BP-05, KurarayPoval 3-83) and PS powder (wood microcellulose - MCD, corn native starch - KK), with and without the addition of a plasticizer (P) - glycerin, followed by dehydration in air or in a vacuum drying cabinet. Based on the presence of external defects after dehydration and the strength characteristics of the material, it was found that for PVA-1799 it is possible to achieve a filling degree of 80 vol.%, for a PVA BP-05, VS-05 KurarayPoval and 3-83-no more than 50 vol.% without plasticizer and up to 70 vol.% in the presence of a plasticizer. It is noted that when filling PVA with starch up to 50 vol.% dehydrated composites are transparent or semi-transparent, which gives them additional advantages as packaging materials (including film). For composites based on PVA-1799, it was found that the maximum water absorption (250% by weight) has a PVA filled with MCD (20: 80 vol.%), and the introduction of a plasticizer (5 vol.% ) significantly reduces the degree of water absorption (up to 150% by weight), which is not typical for this brand of PVA filled with CC (water absorption was about 50% by weight with and without plasticizer). Composites based on PVA grades VS-05, BP-05, KurarayPoval 3-83 dissolve in water at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. During the preliminary assessment of the biodegradation of the studied PVA-1799 composites, it was found that micro-cracks and areas with immobilized microbiota were observed in the polymer matrix during microscopy after 6 months of composting and soil testing, however, no significant damage to the integrity of the polymer of this brand occurred during the specified composting period, which emphasizes the complex nature of the biodegradation of PVA with high MM and low content of VA groups.

1. Bulletin of the Accounts Chamber No. 9 (274) 2020. Available at: https://ach.gov.ru/statements/byulleten-schetnoy-palaty-9-274-2020-g (in Russian).

2. Prorokova N.P. Problems of biodegradable polymers. Physics of fibrous materials: structure, properties, high technology and materials (smartex). 2013. no. 1. pp. 47-54. (in Russian).

3. Protasov A.V., Studenikina L.N., Korchagin V.I., Akhmatova N.G. Evaluation of the destruction of polyethylene modified with prooxidants in the context of environmental safety. Proceedings of VSUET. 2018. vol. 80. no. 2. pp. 352–357. doi: 10.20914/2310-1202-2018-3-352-357 (in Russian).

4. Prosekov A.Yu., Kriger O.V., Milenteva I.S., Babich O.O. Fundamentals of Biotechnology. Publishing house: Kemerovo Technological Institute of Food Industry, 2015. 214 p. (in Russian).

5. Begum M.H.A., Hossain M.M., Gafur M.A. et al. Preparation and characterization of polyvinyl alcohol–starch composites reinforced with pulp. SN Applied Sciences. 2019. vol. 1. no. 9. pp. 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s42452–019–1111–2

6. Guo B., Zha D., Li B., Yin P. et al. Polyvinyl alcohol microspheres reinforced thermoplastic starch composites. Materials. 2018. vol. 11. no. 4. pp. 640–643. doi: 10.3390/ma11040640

7. Qiu K., Netravail A.N. Polyvinyl alcohol based biodegradable polymer nano-composites, biodegradable polymers. New York, Nova Science Publishers Inc., 2015. pp. 325–379.

8. Singha A.S., Singh A., Priya B., Pathania D. Cornstarch/poly (vinyl alcohol) biocomposite blend films: Mechanical properties, thermal behavior, fire retardancy, and antibacterial activity. International Journal of Polymer Analysis and Characterization. 2015. vol. 20. no. 4. pp. 357-366.

9. Papkina V.Yu., Malinkina O.N., Shipovskaya A.B., Grebenyuk L.V. et al. Properties, degradation in soil and phytotoxicity of starch composites with polyvinyl alcohol. Izv. Sarat. un-that. New ser. Ser. Chemistry. Biology. Ecology. 2018. vol. 18. no. 1. pp. 25–35. doi: 10.18500/1816–9775–2018–18–1–25–35 (in Russian).

10. Pavlenok A.V., Davydova O.V., Drobyshevskaya N.E. et al. Obtaining and properties of biodegradable composite materials based on polyvinyl alcohol and starch. Bulletin of GSTU im. P.O. Sukhoi. 2018. no. 1. pp. 38-46. (in Russian).

11. Ayd?na A.A., Ilberg V. Effect of different polyol-based plasticizers on thermal properties of polyvinyl alcohol: starch blends. Carbohyd. Polym. 2016. vol. 136. pp. 441–448. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.08.093

12. Litvyak V.V. Prospects for the production of modern packaging materials using biodegradable polymer compositions. Journal of the Belarusian State University. Ecology. 2019. no. 2. pp. 84-94. (in Russian).

13. Korchagin V.I., Studenikina L.N., Shelkunova M.V. Rheological behavior of a binary polymer composition. Plastics. 2019. no. 9-10. pp. 52–55. doi: 10.35164/0554-2901-2019-9-10-52-55 (in Russian).

14. Shtilman M.I. Biodegradation of polymers. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Biology. 2015. vol. 8. no. 2. pp. 113.

15. Dorigato A., Pegoretti A. Biodegradable single-polymer composites from polyvinyl alcohol. Colloid and Polymer science. 2012. vol. 290. no. 4. pp. 359-370. doi: 10.1007/s00396-011-2556-z

16. Guzman-Puyol S., Ceseracciu L., Heredia-Guerrero J.A., Anyfantis G.C. et al. Effect of trifluoroacetic acid on the properties of polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl alcohol–cellulose composites. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2015. vol. 277. pp. 242-251. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2015.04.092

17. Li W., Yue J., Liu S. Preparation of nanocrystalline cellulose via ultrasound and its reinforcement capability for poly (vinyl alcohol) composites. Ultrasonics sonochemistry. 2012. vol. 19. no. 3. pp. 479-485. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2011.11.007

18. Sabaa M.W., Abdallah H.M., Mohamed N.A., Mohamed R.R. Synthesis, characterization and application of biodegradable crosslinked carboxymethyl chitosan/poly (vinyl alcohol) clay nanocomposites. Materials Science and Engineering: C. 2015. vol. 56. pp. 363-373. doi: 10.1016/j.msec.2015.06.043

19. Sha D., Yang X., Wang B., Liu X. et al. Surface Grafting of a Quaternary Ammonium Salt on Macroporous Polyvinyl Alcohol-Formaldehyde Sponges and Their Highly Efficient Antibacterial Performance. ACS Applied Polymer Materials. 2020. vol. 2. no. 11. pp. 4936-4942. doi: 10.1021/acsapm.0c00822

20. Kayaci F., Uyar T. Encapsulation of vanillin/cyclodextrin inclusion complex in electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanowebs: Prolonged shelf-life and high temperature stability of vanillin. Food chemistry. 2012. vol. 133. no. 3. pp. 641-649. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.01.040