Decomposition of Polyvinyl Alcohol Via Plasma Oxidation-Reduction Treatment*

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a biodegradable polymer used in applications ranging from packaging to adhesives. Through attachment processes in water, PVA can serve as a carrier of heavy metals and toxic contaminants when released into the ecosystem \cite{treatment}, ultimately finding its way into the food chain. This process is particularly problematic in wastewater plants where the PVA is in contact with a plethora of contaminants detrimental to human health; PVA-degrading microbes are seldom found in wastewater plants. Plasmas are an effective, nonselective method for the degradation of organic contaminants in water, mineralizing them via advanced oxidation and reduction processes. With plasma treatment of PVA solutions, the resultant decomposition pathways and solutions can be explored and analyzed. The treated PVA solutions are dried and then examined using GPC and FTIR to identify molecular weight changes due to bond alterations or crosslinking and to understand surface modification effects, respectively. The treated solution is examined using spectrophotometric analysis to understand decomposition pathways. The goal of the work is to comprehend the role that plasma may hold in the acceleration of the degradation of PVA before its release into the ecosystem.